Applebee's Riblettes

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

We love these things, but it'd be nice if we could make our own,
assuming that we'd come out ahead financially. We only go to
Applebee's after 9pm. Half price appetizers. :o)

Carol, the Frugal Diner

They are rib "tips". I found this recipe online and don't see why you
couldn't do them in the oven, under the broiler first, rather than grilling
then broiling (Huh? Wonder why?).

2 pounds pork rib tips - rib strips.
a.. 2 cups Barbecue Sauce
b.. 1 cup water
c.. 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
d.. 2 cloves garlic, minced
e.. salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION:

Season ribs with salt, pepper and garlic. Place on a medium hot grill and
sear on each side. Continue grilling until the ribs are nearly done. Place
ribs in a broiler pan on a rack. Fill the bottom of the pan with the water
and liquid smoke. Close pan or cover it to seal it. Place in the oven at
275 degrees F. for 2 to 5 hours. The longer you leave them the more tender
they will be. Brush with plenty of heated barbeque sauce right before you
serve.

Oh, the recipe calls this "honey BBQ" - so you want to add some honey to the
commercial sauce. I find Heinz Spicy is just fine for a BBQ mop. Add some
honey and a little of Pam's German-style mustard or dry mustard powder if
desired to make up the sauce.

Jill

Damsel in dis Dress <[email hidden]> looking for trouble
wrote in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

We love these things, but it'd be nice if we could make our own,
assuming that we'd come out ahead financially. We only go to
Applebee's after 9pm. Half price appetizers. :o)

Carol, the Frugal Diner

Frugal dining is okay Carol. I have not a clue about the riblets. I am
still amazed I found the chicken tenders at Dierberg's. I love the things.
I like 'em pounded slightly, quickly grilled and dunked in a variety of
sauces. Next step is to deep fry them. I'm thinking some Panko crumbs.
Anyway, back to the riblets. What cut of meat is a mystery to me. Here is
what I found on Google:

ib·let Pronunciation (rblt)
n.
1. A cut of meat from a rib end of veal or lamb.
2. One of a series of microscopic grooves, each a few thousandths of an
inch wide, inscribed on the surface of an adhesive-backed tape and used on
airplanes and boat hulls to reduce drag.

My guess is, a riblet is whatever you want it to be 😉

Micael

--
Pics aren't great but here are 2 of my 4 brats.
Hoot about to [censored] the snack out of my mouth:
http://tinypic.com/jtrw3o.jpg

Ramsey ever curious about electronics breaking into the TMobile bag:
http://tinypic.com/jtrwgn.jpg

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

They are rib "tips". I found this recipe online and don't see why you
couldn't do them in the oven, under the broiler first, rather than grilling
then broiling (Huh? Wonder why?).

Sounds like it would be worth a shot. Thank you! Are rib tips widely
available?

Quoted message said:

2 pounds pork rib tips - rib strips.
a.. 2 cups Barbecue Sauce
b.. 1 cup water
c.. 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
d.. 2 cloves garlic, minced
e.. salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION:

Season ribs with salt, pepper and garlic. Place on a medium hot grill and
sear on each side. Continue grilling until the ribs are nearly done. Place
ribs in a broiler pan on a rack. Fill the bottom of the pan with the water
and liquid smoke. Close pan or cover it to seal it. Place in the oven at
275 degrees F. for 2 to 5 hours. The longer you leave them the more tender
they will be. Brush with plenty of heated barbeque sauce right before you
serve.

Oh, the recipe calls this "honey BBQ" - so you want to add some honey to the
commercial sauce.

We'd use this recipe. When we tasted it the first time, we decided
never to use commercial sauce again.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Jenny's Indispensable Almost No Carb Barbecue Sauce

Recipe By :Jenny the Bean (asdlc), modified slightly by Damsel
Serving Size : 27 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : condiments

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tablespoons Splenda® granular -- (18 drops liquid)
1 dash cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum -- optional
1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
15 ounces tomato sauce -- plain
6 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 tablespoon Frank's Hot Sauce
3/4 tablespoon salt -- optional
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring

Place Splenda and cayenne pepper into a medium sauce pan. Add xanthan
gum, if you choose to thicken the sauce. Blend mustard into dry
ingredients. Slowly blend in the tomato sauce. Stir in the rest of
the ingredients.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Let simmer for a few minutes. Let
cool, then refrigerate.

Note: this sauce will taste a bit peculiar if you taste it when it is
still hot. Don't worry! Something magical happens when it sits in the
fridge.

Carbohydrates per Serving (1 tablespoon): Less than 1 gram. Half an
ounce is 1 gm carbs, 6 calories.

Source:
""http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/""
Yield:
"1 2/3 cups"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 7 Calories; trace Fat (7.0%
calories from fat); trace Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary
Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 301mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0
Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : This isn't a substitute for the "real thing," it's an
improvement. It's so good the rest of the family gobbles it up and I
have to keep making more.

Damsel in dis Dress said:

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

They are rib "tips". I found this recipe online and don't see why
you couldn't do them in the oven, under the broiler first, rather
than grilling then broiling (Huh? Wonder why?).

Sounds like it would be worth a shot. Thank you! Are rib tips widely
available?

Did the riblets have bones in them? I'd buy "country" style ribs, which
aren't really ribs but are meaty and sometimes have a bone on the back.
Can't say I've ever seen "rib tips" at the grocery store. "Country ribs"
are more bang for your buck. No idea why more meat costs less than true
ribs which are mostly bone... <G>

Jill

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

We love these things, but it'd be nice if we could make our own,
assuming that we'd come out ahead financially. We only go to
Applebee's after 9pm. Half price appetizers. :o)

Carol, the Frugal Diner

Buy a standard rack of ribs and have the butcher saw off the chine bone
and then saw the ribs down the center. Presto...riblets. The breast
end will be much meatier but I think the upper end is tastier...closer
to the bone and all that. I'd say smoke them, but I live in
Florida...up there around the artic circle I'd be tempted to sear them
on the grill and then finish them off in the oven...low and slow...in a
nice warm house!
If you really want to get wild sometime...split them into individual
ribs, batter them and deep fry!!! Yum...be clogged my heart!

Bubba

--
You wanna measure or you wanna cook?

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

>Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
>wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
>or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

They are rib "tips". I found this recipe online and don't see why
you couldn't do them in the oven, under the broiler first, rather
than grilling then broiling (Huh? Wonder why?).

Sounds like it would be worth a shot. Thank you! Are rib tips widely
available?

Did the riblets have bones in them? I'd buy "country" style ribs, which
aren't really ribs but are meaty and sometimes have a bone on the back.
Can't say I've ever seen "rib tips" at the grocery store. "Country ribs"
are more bang for your buck. No idea why more meat costs less than true
ribs which are mostly bone... <G>

Jill

Same here with the country ribs, the real ribs are tasty but don't have
enough meat.

Also never saw "rib tips". All of the "riblets" I have ever seen looked
like "space meat" that were made thru some sort of process using chopped
formed meat.

Damsel in dis Dress wrote on 20 Jan 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

We love these things, but it'd be nice if we could make our own,
assuming that we'd come out ahead financially. We only go to
Applebee's after 9pm. Half price appetizers. :o)

Carol, the Frugal Diner

Barb S posted several yrs ago a sweet and sour rib recipe from the
minihaha tribune... sorry about the spelling of the twin city.

This recipe works well for most any style rib, cheap or expensive
cut...Just use your sauce of Choice instead of the recipe's sauce. Her
sauce is nice though as a topping for cheesecake.

You rang, Sir?

* Exported from MasterCook Mac *

Sweet and Sour Ribs

Recipe By : posted yet again by Barb Schaller to r.f.cooking 4-4-05
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Entrees

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 # country style ribs or spareribs -- (4 to 6)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate -- thawed
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 can crushed pineapple -- (15 1/4 oz.)
undrained
1 small onion -- sliced

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper; wrap in heavy duty foil, folding
over several times to seal. Place packets on cookie sheets or shallow
baking pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and
ginger. Gradually add water, stirring until smooth. Add orange juice
concentrate, vinegar, soy sauce, and pineapple with juice. Mix well.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and clear.

Remove ribs from foil and drain. Place cooked ribs in shallow baking
dish; add sliced onion. Pour sauce over ribs. Return to oven and bake,
uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/2 hours or until tender. If desired, serve
over rice. Makes about 6 large servings.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES : Source: Minneapolis Tribune Sunday Food Section, 5/26/85.
Have made these -- quite good. I don¹t think they take all of the
second time period to finish baking, though.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

We love these things, but it'd be nice if we could make our own,
assuming that we'd come out ahead financially. We only go to
Applebee's after 9pm. Half price appetizers. :o)

Carol, the Frugal Diner

I think they are a "space meat" product since no cut of meat looks like
that. I have seen "riblets" in the frozen food section.

Hi Carol!
I can get riblets at most supermarkets in Fargo - but not all the time.
Sometines the "slab" will be 4 inches wide and the bones 2 inches long.
Sometin=mes it will be 10 or more inches wide and the little bones will
be less than an inch long.

Treat them exactly like spareribs but watch because they're smaller and
tend to cook faster.

ANY recipe of Barb's would be wonderful. How about Cherry Chipotle
Riblets?

Lynn fron Fargo

George said:

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

On Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:00:02 -0600, "jmcquown"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

> Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
>
>> Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
>> wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or
>> rottiserized, or do they have to be grilled or smoked?
>
> They are rib "tips". I found this recipe online and don't see why
> you couldn't do them in the oven, under the broiler first, rather
> than grilling then broiling (Huh? Wonder why?).

Sounds like it would be worth a shot. Thank you! Are rib tips
widely available?

Did the riblets have bones in them? I'd buy "country" style ribs,
which aren't really ribs but are meaty and sometimes have a bone on
the back. Can't say I've ever seen "rib tips" at the grocery store.
"Country ribs" are more bang for your buck. No idea why more meat
costs less than true ribs which are mostly bone... <G>

Jill

Same here with the country ribs, the real ribs are tasty but don't
have enough meat.

Also never saw "rib tips". All of the "riblets" I have ever seen
looked like "space meat" that were made thru some sort of process
using chopped formed meat.

The term "riblets" reminds me of the McDonald's McRib sandwich. Sort of a
formed pork thing on a bun doused in a sauce; looks like ribs but isn't 🙂

I'd definitely buy 'country style ribs' for this andDamsel should use
whatever sauce she wants. Grill, smoke, broil, but *do no boil*! (heheh)

Jill

Carol,

I googled 'Applebee's Riblets' and came up with the following site.

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/barbecue-recipes/honey-bbq-riblets.htm

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

They are the top portion -- sometimes referred to as rib tips -- of a full
slab of spare ribs. It is a left over portion from trimming the spare rib
down into what's referred to as a "St Louis style" rib. They can be prepared
in the same way you would cook any rib meat.
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

Lynn from Fargo said:

Hi Carol!
I can get riblets at most supermarkets in Fargo - but not all the time.
Sometines the "slab" will be 4 inches wide and the bones 2 inches long.
Sometin=mes it will be 10 or more inches wide and the little bones will
be less than an inch long.

Treat them exactly like spareribs but watch because they're smaller and
tend to cook faster.

ANY recipe of Barb's would be wonderful. How about Cherry Chipotle
Riblets?

Lynn fron Fargo

Hoo-yah!! I had some of that Cherry Chipotle Relish thing I made with
tonight's supper, that Chicken Rice Dinner thing I posted a couple days
ago - yesterday? Get this: I had 5 thighs, skinless, that I used.
There was one left, with some rice - a single portion for lunch or
dinner. I was going to bring it over to The Widow Dorothy and decided
to not. As I was leaving her house tonight, she's telling me what she
fixed for supper -- the selfsame thing!! What a coincidence! I don't
know if TPTB would approve of the relish with the chicken and rice
stuff, but it was mighty fine. Perked up the otherwise mildly flavored
chicken. Actually, it's darned good!
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 1-15-2006, RIP Connie Drew

On Fri, 20 Jan 2006 15:36:25 -0600, in rec.food.cooking, Damsel in dis
Dress <[email hidden]> hit the crackpipe and declared:

Quoted message said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

We love these things, but it'd be nice if we could make our own,
assuming that we'd come out ahead financially. We only go to
Applebee's after 9pm. Half price appetizers. :o)

Carol, the Frugal Diner

Ugh, I'm surprised at you....liking those microwaved little bullets.

jmcquown said:

George said:

jmcquown said:

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

>On Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:00:02 -0600, "jmcquown"
><[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>
>
>>Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
>>>wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or
>>>rottiserized, or do they have to be grilled or smoked?
>>
>>They are rib "tips". I found this recipe online and don't see why
>>you couldn't do them in the oven, under the broiler first, rather
>>than grilling then broiling (Huh? Wonder why?).
>
>Sounds like it would be worth a shot. Thank you! Are rib tips
>widely available?
>

Did the riblets have bones in them? I'd buy "country" style ribs,
which aren't really ribs but are meaty and sometimes have a bone on
the back. Can't say I've ever seen "rib tips" at the grocery store.
"Country ribs" are more bang for your buck. No idea why more meat
costs less than true ribs which are mostly bone... <G>

Jill

Same here with the country ribs, the real ribs are tasty but don't
have enough meat.

Also never saw "rib tips". All of the "riblets" I have ever seen
looked like "space meat" that were made thru some sort of process
using chopped formed meat.

The term "riblets" reminds me of the McDonald's McRib sandwich. Sort of a
formed pork thing on a bun doused in a sauce; looks like ribs but isn't 🙂

Yes, I have seen them in a local food service place and the label
announced "chopped and formed pork". I have also took a look at them
when someone else ordered them and they are all exactly the same size &
shape.

Quoted message said:

I'd definitely buy 'country style ribs' for this andDamsel should use
whatever sauce she wants. Grill, smoke, broil, but *do no boil*! (heheh)

My favorite is country ribs with sauerkraut and sliced potatoes done
slowly in the crockpot.

Quoted message said:

Jill

Quoted message said:

I think they are a "space meat" product since no cut of meat looks like
that. I have seen "riblets" in the frozen food section.

I have to agree. I went to Applebee's once and had the all you can eat
riblets and they were terrible; I barely finished one serving of
riblets and that was all I could take. It seemed like they took pieces
of pork and slid small pieces of rib bone into them. The meat tasted
like a McRib sandwich.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Michael O'Connor said:

Quoted message said:

I think they are a "space meat" product since no cut of meat looks like
that. I have seen "riblets" in the frozen food section.

I have to agree. I went to Applebee's once and had the all you can eat
riblets and they were terrible; I barely finished one serving of
riblets and that was all I could take. It seemed like they took pieces
of pork and slid small pieces of rib bone into them. The meat tasted
like a McRib sandwich.

Ob disclaimer: I've never tried the Applebee's riblets. In fact, I
can't remember the last time I was in an Applebee's.

But this conversation reminds me of the Krusty the Clown Ribwich on
"The Simpsons": "We take letter-graded meat ... and process the hell
out of it, till it's good enough for Krusty." Krusty: "Mmmm. I don't
mind the taste."

Carol, I'm not poking at you. If they're rib tips, that would be
cool. I'm not so sure about processed rib meat, though, if that's
what it is.

sd

me said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Michael O'Connor" <[email hidden]> wrote:

snip

Y'know from reading the posts it seems to me to confirm what I've
thought. We love going to Appleby's here in OR but it was bad it CA.
The ribs here are great IMHO. CA, forget it. Bottom line is I don't
think they have a very good quality control franchise-wise. We plan to
try again tomorrow in Portland.

Damsel in dis Dress said:

Can anyone tell me what cut to look for at the grocery store if I
wanted to make my own riblettes? Can they be baked or rottiserized,
or do they have to be grilled or smoked?

We love these things, but it'd be nice if we could make our own,
assuming that we'd come out ahead financially. We only go to
Applebee's after 9pm. Half price appetizers. :o)

Carol, the Frugal Diner

Hi Carol,

First have you checked the freezer section of your grocery store? Here,
I'm finding more and more restaurants are now marketing their products. I
don't recall seeing applebees, but I do see Boston Market and TGI Fridays,
etc.

I can't help you with the Applebee's sauce - sauce really gives ribs the
flavor. BBQing gives a fabulous flavor, but each cook then puts his/her
sauce on them for (hopefully) a unique flavor.

I've never eaten the Applebee's riblettes, but I noticed a pic of them on
the menu once when they were promoting them.

IIRC, they looked "fleshy" (unlike regular ribs that are closely trimmed
and look like long bones with a thin wrap of meat.) and bone-in.

If that is true, you might want to look for a pork cut called
"country-style" ribs. 'Round here, they are like slab ribs that are not
trimmed close. They still have the "flap"of meat on the bottom, so they
are very meaty.

The pic seemed to indicate that the "riblettes" were just regular lenghts
cut into smaller sections. Rib bones are irregular in lenghts, so cutting
would make them all similar. It helps with cooking time (as with anything)
for pieces or sections to be similar in size. As well, Applebees can stack
a bunch of pieces on a plate to make a more generous presentation than one
or two whole ribs would make. As well, since ribs are different lenghts,
uniformed pieces makes sure of portion control each time - and keeps a
customer from grousing because they got 3 ribs last time and only two ribs
this time (which is the importance of portion control <g>😉.

You can ask your butcher to cut the bones in halves or quarters, if you
wish to have "riblettes". There may also be options available where the
butcher has already cut the bones into some smaller size and calls them
something like cocktail ribs. Here, they just sell them in a slab.

The last ones I cooked were toward the end of summer. I marinated them
over night in homemade BBQ sauce and BBQed (cooked over a low slow charcoal
fire for about 6 hours). They were heavenly. I may never go back to
"skinny" ribs

If I were cooking them inside (which I would, have done before, and will
do again - for the purists that are about to chew on my ears), there are a
several options. I don't have a recipe and I have used several different
methods.

I leave the ribs together instead of cutting them apart. I try to use a
pan that is long enough for the whole slab. If I can't do that, I try to
cut the slab in half or in quarters

I marinate in bbq sauce. I usually make my own, but there are some good
bottled sauces out there or you can add some homemade to a bottled sauce.

Since pork ribs need to be tender, there are several cooking choices:

Pressure cooker
Parboil first, then bake
braise
or bake

I usually braise (though I have parboiled). Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Since I like to keep the ribs in a slab, I would
use a baking pan that I could turn lenght-wise over two burners (one back,
one front). Add a little oil to the pan, heat to pretty-much hot, add
ribs, and brown. The sugar in the bbq sauce will burn (and pretty
quick) so watch the heat. They'll brown at a lower temp ok.

Pour some of the bbq sauce over the ribs, coating well on both sides. If
it is a thick bbq sauce (and/or a pan larger than the ribs [this should
be the case], add some water to the pan (just enough to create steam,
not poaching or boiling). Make sure the ribs are bone-side down.
Cover tightly with foil if pan does not have a tight-fitting lid. Slide in
oven.

Check about every hour. Make sure there is enough water (just a tenth
of an inch or so) to keep some steam going. Baste with bbq sauce.

When I am cooking them on the grill, I spritz them with water to give the
meat some moisture. The steam effect will help keep them moist.
If too much fat and liquid accumulates, dip it out. if you have a baking
rack that fits in your pan, you can elevate the ribs. You can turn two pie
plates upside down or use some mini loaf pans, etc to make the elevation.
This will make for a "dryer" rib as the meat juices move away from the
meat. I generally just toss them in the pan.

I would think they would have to cook slowly for 3 hours or so. I've never
cooked the "country style" in the oven and they are so much thicker and
meatier than "skinny ribs". I can't always get country style and I just
don't buy ribs anymore when I can't.

They will be done when you can stick a fork in the meat, turn the fork,
and the meat will fall apart. If you can slice off a piece of meat, like
you can with a pork chop, they aren't ready. I'd check them at 3 hours, if
the meat is tender all the way through a thick section but not yet
"falling apart" tender, I'd recover the pan, cook 10 minutes more, turn
off the oven (without opening the door) and let them set for about 2 hours.

Elaine, too