Some time ago I saw a description of something called "Tuscan ribs." They're
given a dry rub which consists of the same spices used for salami and
oven-cooked until they start to turn tender. Then they're braised in a spicy
tomato sauce until they're ready to fall off the bone.

I'm going to attempt to make that on Wednesday night, but I'm unsure of a
few things:

1. The guy talking about the salami spice rub was very vague (no doubt
protecting his restaurant's secrets). What do you suppose is in that rub?
Looking through my charcuterie books, salami's main spice is garlic and not
much else, though powdered milk also appears to be fairly common.

2. The tomato sauce was emphatically described as spicy. Would a standard
arrabbiata sauce work? Or does Tuscany have its own version of spicy tomato
sauce? (Or is this dish not Tuscan at all, but called that purely for
marketing purposes? Also, is Fra Diavolo sauce an Italian sauce, or is it an
American creation?) I plan to put a fennel bulb into the sauce, since we've
got one in the refrigerator and I'd like to get the fennel taste into the
dish.

3. What should accompany the ribs? I'm tentatively considering Gnocchi alla
Romana and maybe braised radicchio or rapini.

Bob

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:55:51 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>Some time ago I saw a description of something called "Tuscan ribs." They're
>given a dry rub which consists of the same spices used for salami and
>oven-cooked until they start to turn tender. Then they're braised in a spicy
>tomato sauce until they're ready to fall off the bone.

Don't have a clue as to the spices needed for salami, but a little
google led me to the Tuscan herbs of Rosemary, sage, basil and
peppermint.

For the spicy tomato sauce, nothing beats IMNSHO a Puttanesca sauce.
>
snippage
>
>3. What should accompany the ribs? I'm tentatively considering Gnocchi alla
>Romana and maybe braised radicchio or rapini.
>
Sounds good to me. I'm on the next flight out for this meal ;-)

>Bob

koko
--

There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 02/20/10

koko wrote:

> Don't have a clue as to the spices needed for salami, but a little
> google led me to the Tuscan herbs of Rosemary, sage, basil and
> peppermint.

We've got everything but the basil in our back yard! My current notion is
that the rub will contain salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, and powdered
milk. Maybe a touch of cardamom, ginger, mustard seed, and/or nutmeg, and
maybe some wine. I did see an interesting recipe for salame cotto d'Asti
which had a completely different set of flavors: black pepper, winter
savory, lemon balm, cinnamon, cloves, and red wine -- with *no* garlic, but
that can wait for another time.


> For the spicy tomato sauce, nothing beats IMNSHO a Puttanesca sauce.

Thing is, this is going to be a long-simmering sauce, and puttanesca's most
appealing as a *quick* sauce. The current plan is for the sauce to contain
onions, tomatoes, fresh oregano, garlic, fennel bulb, and red pepper flakes.
Just before serving I'll add more oregano and maybe some fresh mint. Our
mint plant is rebounding nicely from the winter.

Come to think of it, our rosemary plant is doing quite well too; if I had
the time I'd make a chicken-rosemary soup to start. But this is all being
shoehorned into my working schedule, so it's going to be hectic enough as it
is. I'll put the rub onto the ribs Tuesday night before I go to work, put
the ribs into the oven Wednesday morning before I go to bed, and then get up
early Wednesday afternoon to make the rest of the stuff.


> Sounds good to me. I'm on the next flight out for this meal ;-)

You *are* overdue for a visit, you know. :-)

Bob

BubbaBob wrote:

>> Some time ago I saw a description of something called "Tuscan ribs."
>> They're given a dry rub which consists of the same spices used for
>> salami and oven-cooked until they start to turn tender. Then they're
>> braised in a spicy tomato sauce until they're ready to fall off the
>> bone.
>>
> Real Tuscans don't braise their ribs. That's an abomination. They barbecue
> them, slowly, using chunks of grapestock for the smoke.

The snippet I saw about that dish mentioned that it's made at a restaurant
in Philadelphia. I have no reason to believe the item described is
authentically Tuscan. Nevertheless, I like braised ribs, and the weather is
supposed to be very rainy and windy that day, so I'd prefer to cook inside.

The dish itself is only slightly removed from "Sunday Gravy," so I doubt
that many people would share your opinion.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Some time ago I saw a description of something called "Tuscan ribs."
> They're given a dry rub which consists of the same spices used for
> salami and oven-cooked until they start to turn tender. Then they're
> braised in a spicy tomato sauce until they're ready to fall off the
> bone.

Never heard about such a dish. I always had my tuscan ribs grilled, and they
are really god at that in Tuscany. Look for "rosticciana", the tuscan name
for grilled spare ribs.

> 1. The guy talking about the salami spice rub was very vague (no doubt
> protecting his restaurant's secrets). What do you suppose is in that
> rub? Looking through my charcuterie books, salami's main spice is
> garlic and not much else, though powdered milk also appears to be
> fairly common.

Just garlic and pepper, usually. Then one could find salami made with
wild-fennel seeds, which appear in some tuscan salami and other cold-cuts
such as ciccioli. Wine also is widely used in salami, many italian salami
have wine added in the meat mix. In certain areas the wine gets to rest
overnight with garlic cloves in it then the garlic gets removed or remains
in the wine and goes into the salami. In the latter case the garlic is
finely minced.

> 2. The tomato sauce was emphatically described as spicy. Would a
> standard arrabbiata sauce work? Or does Tuscany have its own version
> of spicy tomato sauce? (Or is this dish not Tuscan at all, but called
> that purely for marketing purposes?

It could be both ways, I never heard of this dish but this doesn't mean that
it doesn't exist.

> Also, is Fra Diavolo sauce an
> Italian sauce, or is it an American creation?)

Fra' Diavolo was a brigand who became a patriot during the wars between the
french and the Kingdom of Naples a couple of centuries ago, the Itri area
where he hid during his years as a brigand and after a defeat from the
french is full of things named after him, from streets to restaurants to
dishes. There are recipes for olives, linguine (with seafood)... and who
knows what. Maybe it's an original italian sauce or just an invention of the
cook in the show you've seen. Anyway, in italian kitchen when you read the
word "diavolo" there's usually some red hot pepper or at least white or
black pepper, as in "pollo alla diavola".

> 3. What should accompany the ribs? I'm tentatively considering
> Gnocchi alla Romana and maybe braised radicchio or rapini.

This dish makes me think of a dish I usually make in winter with spare ribs
cut short: sautee a lot of minced onion and garlic in EVO oil, then add the
ribs, some white wine, let go 15 minutes and then plain tomato sauce. The
spices are up to me and I usually add some ground white or black pepper and
a bay leaf. Wonderful on polenta!
But since the recipe you talk about is named after Tuscany, look for "pici",
they're a tuscan kind of big spaghetti made with just flour and water, no
eggs. In the area between Grosseto and Siena, however, some people uses the
egg whites. They are wonderful with strong, rich dressings and era really
easy to make.
--
Vilco
Don't think pink: drink rosè

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:59:53 -0800, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> koko wrote:
>
>> Don't have a clue as to the spices needed for salami, but a little
>> google led me to the Tuscan herbs of Rosemary, sage, basil and
>> peppermint.
>
> We've got everything but the basil in our back yard! My current notion is
> that the rub will contain salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, and powdered
> milk.

it seems to me that the powdered milk is in the salami for reasons other
than as a flavoring agent. for the fermentation aspect of the cure?

your pal,
blake

Bob Terwilliger > wrote:

> Some time ago I saw a description of something called "Tuscan ribs." They're
> given a dry rub which consists of the same spices used for salami and
> oven-cooked until they start to turn tender. Then they're braised in a spicy
> tomato sauce until they're ready to fall off the bone.

In Tuscany, (pork) rib dishes, grilled or braised, are called
"rosticciana" or "rostinciana" (not to be confused with the Lombardian
"rôstida" or "rôstiscida", a different dish). If you do a search, you
will find some recipes, but they will be different from what you are
seeking. I could also post a recipe for rosticciana con olive, ribs
braised with olives, in this case just a variation of spezzatino, from a
Tuscan (Lucchesian) cookbook I have here.

> Also, is Fra Diavolo sauce an Italian sauce, or is it an
> American creation?)

It is the latter. See, for example,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_diavolo_(sauce)>.

Victor

Victor wrote:

>> is Fra Diavolo sauce an Italian sauce, or is it an American creation?)
>
> It is the latter. See, for example,
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_diavolo_(sauce)>.

I'd already seen that when I asked the question, but I wasn't willing to
take Wikipedia's citing of Mario Batali as authoritative.

Bob

ViLco wrote:

>> 3. What should accompany the ribs? I'm tentatively considering
>> Gnocchi alla Romana and maybe braised radicchio or rapini.
>
> This dish makes me think of a dish I usually make in winter with spare
> ribs cut short: sautee a lot of minced onion and garlic in EVO oil, then
> add the ribs, some white wine, let go 15 minutes and then plain tomato
> sauce. The spices are up to me and I usually add some ground white or
> black pepper and a bay leaf. Wonderful on polenta!
> But since the recipe you talk about is named after Tuscany, look for
> "pici", they're a tuscan kind of big spaghetti made with just flour and
> water, no eggs. In the area between Grosseto and Siena, however, some
> people uses the egg whites. They are wonderful with strong, rich dressings
> and era really easy to make.

Lin doesn't care for polenta, so I'd settled on making the gnocchi instead.
I'd forgotten about pici! Yes, pici would probably be very good with the
braised ribs. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have time to make them for
this dinner.

Thanks for all the information, including the parts I snipped.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger > wrote:

> Victor wrote:
>
> >> is Fra Diavolo sauce an Italian sauce, or is it an American creation?)
> >
> > It is the latter. See, for example,
> > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_diavolo_(sauce)>.
>
> I'd already seen that when I asked the question, but I wasn't willing to
> take Wikipedia's citing of Mario Batali as authoritative.

That was an example. Here are some other ones:
<http://almostitalian.com/fra-diavolo/>
<http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/lobster_fra_diavolo_shrimp_fra_diavolo/>.
<http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Shrimp-Fra-Diavolo>
<http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/29/garden/origin-of-popular-lobster-fra-diavolo-bedevils-the-experts.html?pagewanted=all>

Besides, I always try to go to the putative source if possible, and in
this case a search for "salsa Fra Diavolo" in Italian yields no results.

Victor

Victor Sack wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger > wrote:
>
>> Victor wrote:
>>
>>>> is Fra Diavolo sauce an Italian sauce, or is it an American creation?)
>>> It is the latter. See, for example,
>>> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_diavolo_(sauce)>.
>> I'd already seen that when I asked the question, but I wasn't willing to
>> take Wikipedia's citing of Mario Batali as authoritative.
>
> That was an example. Here are some other ones:
> <http://almostitalian.com/fra-diavolo/>
> <http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/lobster_fra_diavolo_shrimp_fra_diavolo/>.
> <http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Shrimp-Fra-Diavolo>
> <http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/29/garden/origin-of-popular-lobster-fra-diavolo-bedevils-the-experts.html?pagewanted=all>
>
> Besides, I always try to go to the putative source if possible, and in
> this case a search for "salsa Fra Diavolo" in Italian yields no results.

OK... how do you pronounce "diavolo"?

dee-ah-VO-lo

dee-AH-vo-lo

Or something else?

Screw it. I'll call it Shrimp Puttanesca and leave it at that.

George L