Costillas de Matanza

• 12 rack ribs. (sant louis style)

Dry rub:

• 12 oz kosher salt
• 12 tbsp ground black pepper
• 6 tbsp granulated sugar
• 18 dried bay leaves
• 12 tbsp ground cinamon
• 3 cup oloroso sherry
• 3 cup chardonnay vinegar

To cook the ribs:

• Rinds of 12 lemons each removed  in 1 strip
• 18 cinnamon sticks
• 30 garlic cloves smashed
• 18 whole fresh bay leaves
• Pork fat to cover

For the PX reduction:

• 1.5 quarts pedro ximenez sherry
• 3 quarts of pedro ximenez sherry vinegar

Final presentation

• 1 rack with 5 ribs cooked.
• 2 tbsp of pedro Ximenez reduction
• 1 grilled lemon

• In a large baking dish, combine salt, black pepper, sugar, crumbled dry bay leaves, ground cinnamon. Create a cure.
• Place the ribs in the baking dish and toss them with the cure coating them evenly. Sprinkle with oloroso sherry and the chardonnay vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
• Preheat the oven at 250F
• Remove the ribs from the cure. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels. Place the ribs in a large hotel pan with lemon rind, cinnamon sticks, garlic, and whole bay leaves. Cover with render pork fat. bring the whole thing to simmer on top of a flat top.
• Cover and place ribs in oven
• Cook for 3 hours. Until the ribs are fork tender and the bones pull easily away from the meat. Remove from oven.
• Allow the ribs to cool room temperature in the hotel pan and then place in the refrigerator to chill in the confit overnight.
• Remove the pork from the fat and cut into sections of 5 bones (you should only get 2-3 sections per rack. Wrap 5 bone sections in plastic wrap and set aside in cooler.

For the Pedro Ximenez reduction: (this is a prep item. we can make a lot ahead, it doesn't get bad too)

• In a small saucepan over medium - high heat, combine the Pedro Ximenez sherry and the PX sherry vinegar. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce volume is reduced to 1.25 qt. Remove from the heat and cool down room temperature (this sauce should NOT be kept in the cooler)

For service:

• Cook in oven or rotisserie for 5 Minutes at 450 F until they start to brown.
• Glaze the ribs with the sauce on the meat side, cook for another 5 more minutes until nicely glazed and a little charred. Remove from the heat, cut and serve as pictured with a grilled lemon on the side.

• Be careful to don't over reduce the pedro ximenez reduction, once cold should have a saucy (molasses) texture but not too thick. If it's too thick that means you over reduced and it's probably burned. Taste and start from scratch if needed.