SOUS VIDE PORK RIBS - Fire Finished with Sticky BBQ Glaze
Do the hard work at home. Finish the good part at camp.
This is a campfire rib recipe with the difficult part already handled. The ribs are cooked sous vide at home until the meat is tender enough to pull from the bone, chilled in the bag, then packed into the esky.
At camp, all that remains is heat, fire and a sticky glaze.
The method gives you control. Twelve hours at 74 degrees C takes the connective tissue down without turning the rack to mush. The ice bath brings the temperature down fast so the ribs can be stored cold, then the campfire finish builds the char and the BBQ sauce does what it should: bubbles, tightens and clings to the ribs.
Use a Searzall if you have one. It gives you a fierce, precise flame at a campsite. A wire rack set over a good bed of coals does the same job with more patience. Either way, dry ribs are the rule. Water is the enemy of a hard sear.
AT A GLANCE
Serves 2 to 3
Home prep 20 minutes
Sous vide cook 12 hours at 74 degrees C
Camp finish 15 to 25 minutes
Finish setup: Cast iron, Searzall or wire rack over coals
Reheat target: 69 degrees C at the centre of the rack
Texture Tender, pull from the bone
Difficulty: Easy at camp. Prep ahead at home.
INGREDIENTS
1 rack Pork ribs, membrane removed if still attached
Flaky sea salt, for generous seasoning
Ground black pepper, for generous seasoning
1 cup BBQ sauce, homemade or your preferred brand
Neutral oil, only if needed for the cast iron
WHAT YOU NEED
Vacuum sealer and a bag large enough for the rack
Sous vide immersion circulator
Large container or stockpot for the water bath
Ice and a bowl or sink for the cooling bath
Esky or refrigerator for cold storage
Cast iron pan for camp reheating
METHOD: HOME PREP
01. DRY AND SEASON THE RIBS
Pat the rack thoroughly dry with paper towel. Season both sides generously with flaky salt and ground black pepper. Work the seasoning into the meat side and the surface between the bones. The ribs should look well seasoned before they go into the bag.
Tip: Removing the membrane from the bone side gives the seasoning better access and makes the finished rack easier to eat. Lift one corner with the back of a spoon, grip it with paper towel and pull steadily.
02. VACUUM SEAL
Place the seasoned rack in a vacuum bag and seal it carefully. Take time to make sure there is no air trapped around the ribs and the seal is complete. A good seal keeps the water bath out and ensures even contact with the meat throughout the cook.
Tip: If the rack is too long for the bag, cut it cleanly into two sections before sealing. Do not force a bent rack into a narrow bag.
03. COOK SOUS VIDE
Set the immersion circulator to 74 degrees C. Once the water is at temperature, fully submerge the bagged ribs and cook for 12 hours. Keep the bag below the waterline and make sure the circulation around it is unobstructed. Top up the water if needed during the cook.
Tip: The temperature is fixed. The variable is time. Twelve hours produces tender, pull-from-the-bone ribs while leaving enough structure for a proper campfire finish.
04. ICE BATH AND CHILL
When the 12 hours are up, transfer the sealed bag straight into an ice water bath. Leave it there until the rack is cold through to the centre, then refrigerate it in the sealed bag. Keep the bag cold in the fridge or esky until you are ready to travel.
Tip: Rapid chilling is essential when making the ribs ahead. Use plenty of ice and keep the cold chain unbroken. For home storage, follow local food-safety guidance and use a conservative chilled window, or freeze the sealed rack for a future trip.
METHOD: CAMPFIRE FINISH
05. PREPARE THE FIRE AND RIBS
Build a stable bed of coals and set a cast iron pan over medium heat. Remove the ribs from the bag and discard the cooking liquid. Pat every surface of the rack very dry with paper towel. The ribs need to be dry before they see the pan or flame. Wet surfaces steam, and steam does not sear.
Tip: Set aside half the BBQ sauce for glazing and keep the other half clean for serving. Never return a used brush to the clean sauce.
06. BRING THE RIBS BACK TO HEAT
Place the rack meat-side down in the warm cast iron pan. Reheat gently, turning as needed, until the thickest section of meat reaches about 69 degrees C. You are not cooking the ribs again. You are bringing them back to serving temperature without burning the outside.
Tip: If you prefer to reheat before leaving home, place the sealed bag in water held just below boiling until the ribs are hot through, then pack them into a preheated thermal container for the trip to camp.
07. SEAR AND GLAZE
Move the hot rack to a wire rack over the coals or keep it in the cast iron and use the Searzall. Sear every surface until the edges begin to char and the fat starts to crisp. About halfway through, brush on a thin layer of BBQ sauce. Keep turning and adding light coats of sauce until the glaze is sticky, bubbling and set. Aim for the level of char you enjoy. Three-quarter sear is a good place to land.
Tip: Thin layers of sauce are the difference between a lacquered glaze and a burnt, sugary mess. Add one coat, let it set, then add the next.
08. REST, PORTION AND SERVE
Rest the glazed rack for 3 to 5 minutes. Place it bone-side up on a sturdy board. Using a Thomson Slicer, guide the blade down through the tender meat between the bones, keeping clear of the bone itself. Serve the ribs with the remaining BBQ sauce while the glaze is still hot and glossy.
Tip: Do not cut through bone with a fine blade. Locate the gaps between the bones first, then use a single controlled draw through the soft meat.
SERVE WITH
Charred corn with lime and salt. A sharp cabbage slaw. Pickled jalapenos or dill pickles. Cold lager. This is a hands-on meal, so put a stack of napkins on the table and keep the sides bright enough to cut through the glaze.
THE RIGHT KNIFE
The Slicer belongs at the board, not in the fire. Once the ribs are tender and glazed, its long, fine blade works between the bones in a single controlled stroke, keeping the lacquered surface intact. It is not a bone chopper.
Work in the gaps, let the edge travel through the soft meat, then hand the finished ribs over with proper Steak Knives at the table.
BEST VALUE Stainless Slicer + Two Steak Knives $380 AUD (Limited time only)
Or choose the individual pieces:
Slicer - Forged Finish | $365 AUD
Classic Chef's Slicer - Carbon Steel | $300 AUD
Classic Steak Knives | from $250 AUD
Cook it well. Eat it outside.
