I love to make a pot roast out of pork butt or shoulder - brown the meat in a dutch oven, then add lots of garlic and chopped onions. For liquid use fruit juice or broth or a combo plus any herbs you like - last time I used rosemary and thyme from our garden, yummy. Bake at 325F for about 3 hours, then remove the meat and make gravy from the juices. Leftovers make wonderful pulled pork sandwiches or tamale pie. I also like to use either the ribs or butt to make carnitas, but you already mentioned those. Here's a couple of recipes I've used with country ribs - all were good, and I'd make them again. Becky * Exported from MasterCook * BBQ Country Style Ribs Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 10 country style pork ribs 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 lemon -- thinly sliced 1 bottle barbeque sauce -- (18 ounce) 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). 2. In a shallow baking pan or roaster, place ribs in a single layer; salt if desired. Spread the garlic on the ribs, then place the lemon slices on top. Bake in a preheated oven for 2 hours - the ribs should be tender. Drain any grease and liquid. Pour BBQ sauce over the ribs. Return to oven and bake one more hour at 200 to 250 degrees F. Source: "www.allrecipes.com" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook * Easy Local Ribs Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 3 pounds country style pork ribs -- cut into pieces 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon salt dash pepper Sauce: 1 cup syrup packed pineapple chunks -- drained 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup catsup 1/3 cup vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic -- minced For Garnish: pineapple chunks sliced green onions Rub ribs all over with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Place ribs in a shallow baking or roasting pan, and cover with foil or lid. Bake 20-25 minutes at 450F. Drain off fat. Combine sauce ingredients; pour over ribs. Bake uncovered at 350F for 1 hour or until tender; basting occasionally. Garnish with pineapple chunks and green onions. Source: "Best of the Best from Hawaii Cookbook (Sam Choy's Sampler)" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook * CIDER-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER WITH CARMELIZED ONIONS Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 bone-in fresh pork shoulder half -- (3- to 4-lb) (preferably arm picnic) 2 garlic cloves -- cut into slivers 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 lb onions (5 or 6 medium) -- halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices 3/4 cup unfiltered apple cider Preheat oven to 325°F. Score fat and any skin on pork in a crosshatch pattern. Make slits all over meat with a small sharp knife and insert a garlic sliver in each slit. Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat on all sides, turning occasionally with the aid of tongs and a carving fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Add onions to pot and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in cider and return pork to pot. Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and braise pork in middle of oven until very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Transfer pork to a serving dish with the aid of tongs and carving fork. Boil cooking juices with onions until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, 2 to 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and serve with pork. Cooks' note: Pork can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered. Reheat in liquid, covered, at 325°F 1 hour. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Gourmet December 2001 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Made 9-28-08 with boneless pork country ribs and apple juice.

Posted by foodonastump "So couldn't this "potential difference for more energy to transfer" have an effect on not just the braising liquid, but also on the meat that's in the vessel? Or was America's Test Kitchen completely dillusional when they experimented with cooking pot roast in a dutch oven, in an oven at various temperatures and found: "We then tested higher temperatures to reduce the cooking time. Heat levels at above 350 degrees boiled the meat to a stringy, dry texture because the exterior of the roast overcooked before the interior was cooked and tender. The magic temperature turned out to be 300 degrees - enough heat to keep the meat at a low simmer while high enough to shave a few more minutes off the cooking time." Excellent questions. First, It seems to me that we can all accept that: 1. To the meat in the liquid inside the vessel, it makes no difference where the 212F heat comes from. By the very definition of thermal energy, there is no difference between heat from the oven, stove, coal, candle, -------. 2. However, to the meat, how long the meat stays in the 212F will make a difference. To tenderize the meat, it is important to cook it long, in the ATK experiment, as they stated, they cook the meat at 350 but shorter time, therefore some of the meat is tougher. "By the way, the oven cooking time for their pot roast is 3.5-4 hours after the liquid comes to a simmer, stove top. And yes, with an internal temperature of 210 degrees they themselves called the roast "overcooked", in quotes. In other words it was a desirable result in this case. Again, unless they're dilussional, it sure sounds to me like there's 212, and then there's 212. And that generations of cooks weren't wrong. " I don't think that generation of cooks were wrong. Cooking with a covered Dutch oven inside an oven will produce wonderful results. Whether that will have more delicious end results than doing it with the Dutch oven on the stove top is my question. "Last note - you asked why do it in the oven rather than stove-top. ATK found what LindaC mentioned above: "After a few rounds of stovetop cooking, we felt that it was too difficult to maintain a steady, low temperature, so we began pot-roasting in the oven, starting out at 250 degrees. This method required no supervision, just a turn of the meat every 30 to 40 minutes to ensure even cooking." I can understand that. For the purpose of the repeatability of the experiment, as in any experiment, it is important to maintain recordable and verifiable environmental conditions, and that is much easier done in an oven which has a limiting thermostat. There is no practical way to do that on the stove top. However, I am not sure for everyday cooking anyone would have a problem to get the Dutch oven to be on simmering low-fire setting on the stove top. ---------------------------------------------- BTW, ATK has provided much very useful and important information to the public, however, most of their tests are done in somewhat informal settings. To confirm a true test of 350F vs. 300F in the quality of the meat, I believe the experiment must be done in an oven with an electronic PID type of thermostat which has the ability to control the environment to 0.1 F resolution. Mechanical bi-metal or capillary hydraulic type of thermostats in normal ovens can vary as much as 30F to 50F. Humidity of the cooking environment should be monitored, and a chart recorder should be in operation to record temperature swings throughout the entire cooking time. Because testing by individuals chewing is highly unreliable, it depends on subjectivity, and where the meat from the same cut is taken for the chewing. Proper way to do it perhaps would be using a durometer tester. Finally, no test result is to be considered conclusive until the same test is performed by another independent testing facility. Bottom line: Stewing using a Dutch oven in an oven will make wonderful and delicious stew. However, beef "tenderness" cooked at 212 F is very different texturally than beef tenderness cooked at 135F. dcarch

I use a basic method for getting the ribs tender before placing them on the grill for their final hurrah... Place ribs (don't separate them yet unless they're the big country ribs)in a single layer on a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides, and sprinkle with salt and pepper...you can give them a light rub of your favorite dry run here, but it's not necessary). Cover them tightly with foil, poking a couple of holes so some steam can excape - and put in a 300-325° oven for 2 - 3 hours. Carefully move the cooking sheet to a cooling surface (there may be a lot of liquid in the pan), and VERY carefully remove the foil (avoid those steam burns). Let the meat sit for 30 minutes (it will fall off the bone if you move it while it's this hot). You can prepare up to this point and finish up later on the grill. Get a grill nice and hot, then move the ribs to the grill and heat. Last 5 minutes, put on your favorite BBQ sauce (I like Bullseye) or marinade, and finish them off. Sue

The pic is great. That is one happy smoker, : ) Smoked a pile of ribs early Spring. Low and slow packed tight. open the packets at some point...no competing here. I only get the Costco ribs. Planning another round this coming weekend. Garden is planted and on its own now except for minor up-keep. Ribs are a good project. I like the GaramMasala addition to the rub. I make my own GM so I just may do one of the packs using that version. My spice rub falls into the complicated category but I have the spices and like fresh roasted, ground fresh. Doesn't take long at all and I can stock up other blends that are low at the same time. I bbq a big batch while I'm at it. I swear the neighbors can smell it. One is a football field away and the other is 3 fields away. We do fair trade with the closer. His leeks are baseball bats and mine are toothpicks. He brings leeks and I give all the rhubarb they want. "whatcha cookin'?". The other neighbor is 6'6 and huge. He could use the walk but he drives. "whatcha cookin'?". He offers nothing but an appetite, lol. Plenty for everyone. I plan on 8-10hours. Start about 9am. All I have patience for. I aim for fall-of-the-bone with a tug. I like it to hold on. Leftovers I pull off the bone and food saver in packets for the freezer for mid week quick tacos. I use wood, side fire box. Free fuel. Maple, birch, pear, plum, apple. Old trees. Mesquite powder is a great ingredient. From the seed pods, not the bark/wood. Smells like milk chocolate. HERE