[Wayward_Son]

A coworker gave me six country-style wild hog ribs a few months ago. Here's how I cooked them:

I purchased a package each of fresh thyme and rosemary. I also picked up a large orange, two yellow squash and a bulb of garlic.

I minced the entire bulb of garlic and put it into a small bowl. I then minced a large amount of the thyme and rosemary and added that to the bowl as well. I then ground a bunch of fresh black pepper and sea salt into the bowl. I used a spoon to grind this all together into a paste. I used this paste as a rub to completely coat all the ribs, and tried to rub some of the paste into the meat. I laid them all side by side in a pyrex cake dish (I think 9"x12"). I sliced the orange and squash into 1/4" slices and layered them on top of the meat, then added another dusting of fresh black pepper and sea salt. I rapped the pyrex dish in foil and cooked it at 275 degrees for a couple hours until the pork temp reached 160.

It was delicious. I added the squash and oranges because I wanted to add a little bit of moisture to the recipe. Between the pork juices, the orange and squash, and the foil wrap the meat came out extremely soft and juicy. Didn't need a knife, the meat just came off the bone. The oranges added a bit of sweetness to the recipe and the citrus touch really rounded out the dish. The squash soaked up the garlicy pork juices and were fantastic as a vegetable side.

My next door neighbors barbecued that day and we shared out feasts together. I added a hand-made salad and dressing (another recipe) while they supplied chicken, dinner rolls from scratch and homemade candied sweet potatoes. I brought along two bottles of a good Riesling and we all agreed it was a fantastic meal.

Depending on your tastes this recipe can easily be adjusted. I'm a garlic fiend, so you could use less (or not at all if you're a freak) if that's your thing. I could add sliced white onion to the dish along with the orange and squash but I figured the garlic had enough presence that the onion wasn't necessary. Cucumbers or zucchini would work well. Sliced carrots would work. Slices of apple could be used in place of oranges. I might even try an addition of lime wedges. Hell, thick slices of acorn squash would be good, but then I'd add a basting of butter and brown sugar.