THE PEAR, THE FRUIT of the pear tree, shares the genus Prunus with cherries, plums, and peaches. The seeds, leaves, and bark of the tree contain some amounts of hydrogen cyanide, which can be toxic in certain dosages. On the other hand, the pear flesh, skin, and juice are simply divine. When a pear becomes overripe, its natural sweetness is more addictive than one-dimensional sugar. Besides its obvious applications in desserts, it can be wonderful in savory meat and fish dishes.
SERVES 4 / ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN / TOTAL TIME: 1 DAY or longer
On my days off, when I visit friends and the weather is fine, they usually want to grill outdoors. Everyone has their own way of cooking their ribs. I like to make them meltingly soft, brining them first by rubbing them with salt and refrigerating overnight, then basting them with my sweet and tangy overripe-pear sauce. To finish the flavor, I garnish the ribs with a raw citrusy green, like sorrel stems or spruce tips (see here), depending on the season.
2 pounds mushy overripe pears (see Note), stems and seeds discarded (peels still on), grated 4 cups
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 full slab pork ribs (3–4 individual ribs per person)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
Chopped sorrel or spruce tips (or other citrusy herb), for garnish
To make the pear juice for the sauce, in a medium crock or plastic container, mix the grated pears with 1 tablespoon of the salt and cover with a lid that fits inside the crock (a drop lid). Place a weight on top of the lid and leave at room temperature. (If you don’t have a crock with a weighted lid, you can use a large cabbage leaf to cover the fruit and put a mason jar filled with water on top.) Let sit overnight. (For a more fermented liquid, add some whey and let the pears ferment for up to a week, checking every few days to skim off any foam on the top.)
The next day the salt should have caused the fruit to give up more liquid. Strain, reserving both the juice and the grated pulp. You should have about 1½ cups juice and 2 cups pulp.
For the ribs: Rub the ribs with ½ cup salt and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 275°F. Brush any excess salt and liquid from the ribs. Place the ribs in a roasting pan with enough water to cover. Bake for about 1½ hours until the meat is nearly falling off the bone. You can prep these ribs ahead of time until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small pan over low heat, combine the pear juice and vinegar and reduce the juice to a thin syrup, about 30 minutes.
Add the grated pear pulp, turn up the heat to medium, and cook until thickened, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To serve: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the ribs apart, between the bones, and place on the baking sheet. Brush liberally with about half of the sauce. Roast for about 6 minutes, until a caramelized crust has developed. Place the ribs on a platter and sprinkle liberally with chopped sorrel stems and/or spruce tips. Serve with the remaining sauce.
NOTE:
Since this recipe is about using scraps, if you don’t have enough pears, mix in another fruit (perhaps apples or plums) to make 2 pounds.