Deep Fried Ribs, Anyone?

[PaulstheRibList]

OK, I"m ending up with a bunch of leftover ribs. We vacume seal them in our chamber vac, but with the softer rub on the ribs, an adaptation not that far from Memphis Dust, the Rub with all that sugar gets soft on the reheat, so they take some special care to retherm well. So I'm a bit reluctant to share them with just anyone. So I've been thinking about different ways to used the spare ribs we end up with. Did you catch that funny?

Anyway, I tried Pulled Ribs on Cheesy Polenta last night. It was good, but not remarkable.

Then I remembered a prior idea, Fried Ribs. Duh! I'm in Louisiana, we deep fry everything. I had meant to do this before, but just hadn't gotten around to it.

So I brought home a frozen rack of St. Louis Cut smoked spare ribs, got out my home deep fryer, gave it a quick cleaning, and got to playing.

First up, standard Drench and Drag with Milk and Eggs for the Drench, and Flour for the Drag. Seasoned with a Cajun Seasoning, just like I did growing up and cooking lots and lots of fried shrimp.


This was a pretty good looking rack of ribs! Thick and pretty, with nice bark. That chamber vac works great, you just have to not rub on the rub to rub it off...Now to the slicing. Pretty good, I must say.


The Drench and Drag, then into the vat!


Three different tests. Left: a longer cook. Middle, a little shorter cook, and I did something different than the first, but I'm not sure what. I think I went to the drench 1st on the left rib, then flour, then drench, then back to the flower on the middle. The right rib is just straight to the oil with no coating. I did a few more like these to continue the testing. They were ok, but just not awesome. Something didn't quite match. I wanted more pop.

I thought, More Sugar, like in the rub. So I tested putting a BBQ Sauce on in the process. I tested Drench, then Sauce, then Drag, then fry. Then I put the Sauce first. Both times, the batter didn't really stick at all. But where it did stick, I liked that flavor more. Keep testing.


This one is just Sauce then Fry. It was pretty. And it was good. But no crunch. It was OK, but sticky and not remarkable. Keep testing.


Then I thought, why am I mixing seasoning flavors. Stick with my rub. So I made a new batch of Drench and Drag, both seasoned with generous helpings of our WhoDat Rib Rub. Fried it! First Rib I fried about as long and the first ribs which took about 4-5 minutes to get dark brown. That was too much for the sweeter coatings. So I cut back a minute or two. BEST RIB YET! Crunch and sweeter pop. and no competition with different seasonings.

Admittedly, it's now about 10 pm and I started this at 6:30, so I'm a bit full. But it was quite good and I'm going to pursue this more!


What success stories do you guys and gals have in deep frying your smoked meats?

Thanks!
paul

[Jerod Broussard]

I've yet to fry much lately on the range top. Dad cleaned up real good when he came to make sausage the weekend before Christmas, and he won't be back until April, so I'm reluctant to get things kind of greasy.

Maybe this will push me to get an air fryer.

Think I'll just get a deep fryer, I love my fat calories.

[Steve B]

Here you go Jerod. https://cajunfryer.com/shop/ff2r-st-...er-with-stand/

[Spinaker]

Agree 1000% Air fryers have nothing on a real fryer. Nothing. Henrik Steve B

[texastweeter]

I keep 3 different fryers one with bacon grease, one with tallow, and one with liquid shortening.

[RonB]

My first thought was did you deep fry low and slow... And for any Norwegians from Bogy 's area reading this - do not try this at home, (or anywhere).

I breaded and deep fried a hamburger once and it was great - especially with mashed 'taters and gravy. BUT the look my wife gave me said that I wasn't doing it again...

[Craigar]

A poor man's chicken fried steak in my house. I haven't made those in awhile, thanks for the reminder RonB ! My mom used to make these about once a month when I was a kid.

[HawkerXP]

What was that Bob Marley song? "No woman no fry?" No frying action going on here.

[Steve B]

I haven't deep fried anything like this but I know Spinaker has deep fried ribs before.

[texastweeter]

fried leftover ribs several times. No batter, just out of the fridge, hit with rub and a little baking powder, and into the bacon grease filled deer fryer. Come out great and a bit crispy.

[THE Humble Texan]

If you don't come up with an acceptable reheat to serve to the public I suggest you consider donating them to one of the soup kitchens and take the tax credit and the advertisement. They would probably reheat them in a microwave but I bet they would love to get them.

[texastweeter]

oh trust me, I have several good reheat methods. The above fried ribs are great, especially for really meaty ones.

[jumbo7676]

I haven't tried to do it myself, but the Chicken Fried Ribs at Fox Bros. in Atlanta are really good.

[Nate]

This is like the start of a great state fair fried food story!

[Spinaker]

See below

[shify]

Wow, great job. Funny timing as I was watching some random food network show last night and they showed a place with fried ribs on it. Par smoked, dredged in flour and fried and it made me really want to do it. You might be the kick in the pants I needed to goad me into messing around next time I have some leftover ribs.

[Spinaker]

See below, I make them quite often. They are fun to make and they are really good!

[Troutman]

Paul, first of all great write up dude !!! Very informative and takes some of the guesswork out of frying ribs.

I've been meaning to write up something similar but never got the chance to go back and collect my thoughts. I did the same thing with breading but as you say it just kind of falls off. It also tends to collect oil between the rib and the breading which was kind of off putting to me. On another attempt I slathered the rib with Dijon mustard and dredged it in Panko bread crumbs. That actually came out pretty good, stuck a lot better. The Panko also seems to hold up to frying better than bread crumbs.

If I made another attempt, it would be to us a beer batter and have them come out like a Japanese tempura.

Maybe I'll get around to it some day, but in the meantime will follow your progress with interest. Keep it going bud!! I need to get over and visit you in LC, been way overdue for that meet and greet !!!

[texastweeter]

try a bit of baking powder mixed with your rub. Let it sit a bit. Changes the phone, and gives them a lacy crunch.

[PaulstheRibList]

Would love to have you come visit us!!!

[jfmorris]

Ok, this intrigues me, as I found a bunch of cut up baby backs vacuum sealed in the deep freeze yesterday. Did you thaw the ribs, or deep fry from frozen?

[PaulstheRibList]

I warmed them up. They were in vacuum sealed bags, so I warmed up to about 100 or so in the sealed bag. Some it tried today were about 75 degrees when I fried them. Both worked fine. 2 minute cook for the ones with my rub in the drag.

[Spinaker]

I have deep fried ribs many times before. And I love it. I was running into the same thing you did, plenty of left over ribs, because I live a alone.

I found that using Panko was my favorite. It also holds sauce really well, and it can sit for a little bit longer on a serving try and still be really good. The Panko also sticks to the ribs very well. The Panko is also quite crunchy and that adds a lot to the texture of the bite. I like to dip them in a thick asian sauce after frying. Much of the BBQ flavor is gone after frying, although there is still a hint of the smoke. They are a real treat and a great re-use of the meat!

HouseHomey will be able to help you too. He is the one that helped me master it, He is the fry master. (Among other things.)

[HouseHomey]

Jerod Broussard Seriously right? Hey spin. Change that oil or lower your fryer temp. I know I’m a fry snob.

[Troutman]

I know forget the stinking rib, look at that cast iron collection....envy is setting in !!!

[Spinaker]

ha, that is only one of the racks I have. Jerod Broussard @Troutman

Yes, Master. I bow to your greatness. (Seriously, you are the man.) HouseHomey

[fzxdoc]

Well golly, what a good thing to try. We seldom have leftover ribs, though. But who doesn't love a good fried meat?

Thanks, PaulstheRibList

and Spinaker

Kathryn

[smokin fool]

Its not that I don't enjoy fried meat but after 63+ years of abuse its my stomach that gives the thumbs down to fried foods nowadays.
Woe is me....

[tbob4]

How is that some things just sound terrible and delicious at the same time? Shame on you Paul and Spinaker. I just ate hash made out of a concoction of diced Spam, potatoes, broiled carrots, onion and jalapeño. I had to use the Spam because I had no left-over beef ribs or brisket. The Spam hash sounded just as bad as fried ribs but turned out great.

[Spinaker]

Man rule #1: You can never go wrong with SPAM.

[texastweeter]

Dude, spam is a VITAL ingredient in a root veg hash!

[PaulstheRibList]

Did more testing tonight, up at the restaurant. Mix 50/50 flour and WhoDat Rub. Put 1/4 rub into the egg and milk mixture (2 eggs, 1 cup whole milk).

These are sprinkled with a little powdered sugar, like we are at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter!

I have more pics, but they are on the house phone which I left up at the restaurant.

Shared them with the crew and with a handfull of guests, with very good reviews.

I think we need to develop a trio of sauces to go with them. A Chipolty Mayo, or Ranch, a Siracha,Ranch, and a Fruit Sweet, like Raspberry.

I'll keep ya'll informed.

[texastweeter]

try the baking piwder trick, and let me know what you think.

[Spinaker]

Awesome, Paul!