Rost de porc. Se mengue au verjus; et aucuns y mettent des aulx en la lechefrite avec le sain qui chiet du rost, des ongnons, du vin et du verjus, et en font saulse.
Le VIANDIER, 31
Roast Pork. Eaten with verjuice. And some people put garlic, onions, wine and verjuice in the pan with the drippings from the roast and make a sauce with it.
Le Ménagier de paris, 180
Ribs, Roasted on the Grill
Description
Despite being the staples of the meal, we get very little direction from Medieval sources on the treatment of roasted meats. Le Ménagier de Paris simply instructs "Freshly salted ribs, roasted on the grill." Le Viandier tells us roasted pork is to be eaten with verjus, but adds that "Some make a sauce (to wit, add garlic, onions, wine and verjus to the roast drippings in the pan)" and so we will take both of their advice for this recipe. We also know that roasted meats were generally basted because we are told venison is specifically not, and some, such as "Bourbelier," are even basted in their sauce. If we are adding additional ingredients to the drippings pan, it seems only sensible to baste these ribs in the sauce ingredients. This will enhance the flavor of both the ribs and the sauce, as well as keeping them moist.
Ingredients
1 rack Pork Ribs
Instructions
-
Remove the silverskin from the bottom of the ribs and pat them dry.
-
Salt the ribs and roast or smoke the entire rack at 225°F elevated above a pan wide enough to catch all of the drippings.
-
Into the pan add the Beef Broth, Wine, first measure of Verjus, Garlic, and Onion
Since this sauce will be strained at the end, I put all of these into a food processor and blitz it. Garlic and onion skins have great flavor to contribute. -
Cook the Ribs for about 5 hours, or until you reach your preferred texture, basting every 30 minutes.
-
If the drippings pan becomes dry, add 2 cups of water and mix it thoroughly before basting.
-
Once the ribs are fully cooked, bring the basting liquid to a boil in a small pot.
-
Combine the Cornstarch and the second measure of Verjus to make a slurry.
-
Add the slurry to the boiling pot while stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute.
-
Strain the hot sauce, and taste for need of Salt, Wine, Verjus or Broth
-
If the sauce is too thick, add a Broth, Wine or Verjus a little at a time to reach the right texture. If it is too thin, continue reducing it on the stovetop until it coats the back of a spoon.
-
Pour the finished sauce over the ribs and serve hot.
