ROASTED GREEK RIBS

Tender, crusty edged, oven-roasted ribs, touting an almost addictive pow of garlicky lemon-ness.

The first time I had Greek-ish ribs I was in my 20's. 

At the time, Forest Grump and I were eager, rather hard-working, dedicated restaurateurs, doing it 'our way', at Chianti's.  Those were the days, my friends. 

But, I digress.  Back then, on those rare evenings when Chianti's was closed, or sometimes when we managed to sneak out, lock up and get away a bit earlier than usual, we made a beeline for our fave little Greek restaurant, Talos. 

Mmmm.....indulgent memories crowd in.....smooth hummus, dilly tzatziki, warm pita, creamy feta, briny calamatas, flaky spanakopita and bodacious retsina, that Paulo would lay out on our table, still makes my mouth water. 

But my absolute fave was their salty, lemony, garlic-blasted ribs. Boom-shaka-laka delicious!!

Since those glory days, a few life chapters back, I've toyed with quite a few incarnations of those Talos ribs. And you know, whether done in the oven or thrown on the grill, I've decided, with a great deal of expertise (so to speak) Greek ribs are just damn good.

Last year I came across these particular Greek Ribs from the blog Art and the Kitchen.  Since then I've made them quite a few times, usually for appies.  But they're good too, as a main course, served with Greek salad and some cheesy orzo.

I've made a small handful of subtle changes to the original recipe, and used both back and side ribs. You can't go wrong, either or work tickety boo and turn out finger lickin' good.

The feisty flavours imparted into the ribs from this marinade will make your tastebuds grin. And that initial blast of high heat, in the oven, helps create those irresistible, crusty edges, that act as the perfect counterpart to the rest of the rib meat that is tender, but still boasts a satisfying bite.  Right before you serve these babies up, hot from the oven, squeeze a good schwack of lemon juice over them. Yum-O! 

 

Thanks Art and the Kitchen for this delicious rib recipe.

 

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"Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance."
~ Epicurus

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ROASTED GREEK RIBS - 4-6 Appetizer servings

3 pounds baby back ribs (or side ribs)
4 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped - or 2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
6 plump garlic cloves, minced
Finely grated zest from one lemon
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons runny honey
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch (or more) dried, crushed red chilies

Fresh lemon for squeezing on cooked ribs, before serving

 

Remove skin membrane from ribs.  This is not an absolutely necessary step, but if left on the membrane can sometimes make your ribs a little tough.  Using a sharp knife slice under the skin, on the back on the ribs, and pull skin off meat.  Cut into single ribs.

Combine all other ingredients in bowl and mix well.

Place ribs and marinade in large ziplock bag, shake, shake, mix, mix and refrigerate 2-6 hours, turning occasionally to ensure all sides of the ribs get seasoned, all happy. *Don't leave the ribs in the marinade for too long, as the lemon can change the texture of the meat.*

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.  Line large cookie sheet with foil, spray or grease with olive oil, place ribs on pan, with spaces between each.

Bake at 400F degrees for 10 minutes to get a nice sear on the ribs.

Reduce heat to 300F degrees and roast for 50-60 minutes, until cooked through.  Do not overcook.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the ribs before serving hot from the oven. Boom-shaka-laka!