I’ve talked about my friend Jacques before; he was a butcher in Paris for over 20 years and now owns a Cafe-Tabac in Sens. He was the one who got my sodium nitrate for curing the sanglier. http://atomic-temporary-17826715.wpcomstaging.com/2011/11/16/le-sanglier-part-ii/
I leave the house to walk the dog between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. every morning. Everyday, except Sundays, Jacques opens his Tabac at 7:00 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, market days, he’ll usually receives some of his butcher cronies who come over for coffee and sometimes an incredible “breakfast” of dinner ingredients; petit sale, veal with mushrooms, cote de porc, etc.
Jacques is such a friendly, sympathetic person that sometimes over coffee, before the guys arrive, I end up doing some whining about some of the cuts of meat I miss, mainly ribs. He asked me about them and I printed pictures from the internet of the pig being cut in this fashion. Over another coffee, he told me that maybe he could help.
I have to admit that I was skeptical, but he was so kind that I was determined to praise anything that he came up with. Little did I know that I was hitting up the caffeine with a master butcher! He presented me with perfect baby backs! And two full, beautiful slabs of spareribs that you will see in another post.
Well guys, there was nothing I could do but send him over a plate of barbecued baby backs, my mother’s potato salad and beans enhanced with smoked sanglier.
No more whining.
For the ribs, chop some rosemary and rub it on the baby backs with garlic powder. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 1 hour. Finish on the grill, brushing on your favorite barbecue sauce.
Mom’s Potato Salad
2 lbs potatoes, boiled and then skin removed, cut into cubes
1 onion, chopped
4 boiled eggs, chopped
1 jar diced pimentos
10 gherkins, chopped
3 tbsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Magnifique!!! what a great treat for Christmas – hope you all have a great time together with good food and cheer – L.
Merry Christmas Laura!
looks amazing!
Thank you Sophie and Merry Christmas.
Oh now that is my kind of meal every which way you look at it. Wonderful!
Thank you Greg.
I love gherkins in potato salad and i had forgotton all about them, how does one do that? Your potato salad looks so good, i have not put pimentos in before.. i will try that! I hope you are having a lovely few days with your family.. c
Thank you C. We are having a great time! Happy holidays!
Boy did you get a real treat…you would think that Jacques was from the south somewhere. Beautiful ribs. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Rosemary.
Merry Christmas Karen.
Rosemary, I hope you and your family will have a wonderful Christmas as well.
What do they do with the ribs if not cut them this way?
Hi Josh. I know that the sparerib bones usually stay with the pork chops and the baby backs are most likely a part of their fatty traverse de porc, a rib want to be.
Fantastic ribs, and the trimmings are pretty sexy too – nice one.
Thank you Roger. What a surprise they were!
Yummy!
you read my mind!! i’ve been craving ribs too, and those ribs look so great. what nice pieces of baby back ribs. can’t wait to see your rib dish photos!
Are you absolutely sure the man is not from Texas? Those ribs are perfectly cut.
I am still amazed, Fay!
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