Drinks for ribs

What should you consider when choosing a drink for ribs?

The characteristic of ribs is that they are a fatty and rich dish with a lot of flavour from the crispy and spicy skin. Ribs are often served with side dishes such as well-seasoned medister sausages and medister cakes, rich sauce, sour sauerkraut and sweet mixed berries and prunes. In other words, there is a lot to consider when choosing a drink for ribs: fat, strong flavour, fullness, acidity and sweetness.

The fat in the ribs and the acidity in the sauerkraut require acidity in the wine or freshness and bitterness in the beer to lighten the meal and match the acidity in the sauerkraut. In order for the drink not to drown in all the strong flavours, it is also important that it has a lot of flavour power. And in order for the drink not to seem tart, it should also have some body. If there are sweet side dishes, the wine may seem sour or the beer bitter if the drink does not have a little sweetness itself.

Beer

The fat in the ribs and the acid in the sauerkraut require freshness and bitterness in the beer to make the meal seem lighter and so that the beer does not appear bland. In order for the beer not to drown in all the strong flavours and rich textures in the food, it is also important that it has a lot of flavour power and body. If there are sweet side dishes such as prunes and mixed berries, the beer can seem bitter if it does not have a little sweetness itself. Therefore, choose a beer for ribs with a lot of flavour power and body, high freshness and bitterness and preferably a little sweetness.

Unfortunately, there are few beers that meet all these criteria: some have the sweetness, but not the freshness and bitterness, and vice versa. Which beer is best for you depends on two things:

• How much you drink
• How much bitterness you like

If you're one of those people who likes to help yourself several times, you need a fresh and bitter beer that will lighten your meal. If you are more moderate with how much you consume, the freshness and bitterness of the beer will play a less important role and you can prioritize the sweeter beers, which go better with the sweet accompaniments.

Below you will find some styles that may suit you, depending on your preferences:

• Sweet: Bock and Scotch Ale – Both of these styles are slightly brownish in colour and can offer a lot of flavour and body while also having some sweetness. In other words, they handle sweet side dishes well. There is usually not much freshness and bitterness in these beers, which can make the meal seem a bit heavier.
• Fresh and bitter: India Pale Ale – India Pale Ale is a beer that often has an amber colour. It has a lot of flavour in the form of fresh aromas of tropical fruit or citrus and can have some sweetness from malt and top fermentation. In addition, the beer has a good body. India Pale Ale has a lot of bitterness and freshness. This lightens the meal. The style is rarely as sweet as the darker alternatives. It therefore does not handle the sweetness of the side dishes as well and can appear a little bitter and fresh to some.

See our beer selection here

Aquavit

White wine

Riesling is a grape that can offer high acidity that matches the fat in the ribs and matches the acidity in the sauerkraut. It is aromatic, and therefore has a flavour that stands up to crispy fried skin and spicy Mediterranean food. Wines made from this grape often have a little residual sweetness, and this is important so that the wine does not appear sour in relation to prunes and mixed berries. Lavish versions often have the fullness needed to balance the fullness in the fat and sauce.

Sparkling wine

Many sparkling wines have good acidity and this goes well with the fatty ribs. However, choose a sparkling wine with a lot of flavour and body, so that it does not seem neutral or flimsy in relation to the food. Champagne, as well as Crémant and Cava will go well, but choose a version with a little more sweetness than standard, such as Extra Dry (Extra Seco) or Sec (Seco). This way you avoid the wine seeming sour in relation to the sweet accompaniments.

Red wine

If you choose red wine, go for a fresh, flavourful, full-bodied style with low tannin. It is also great if the wine can offer a little sweetness to match the sweetness of the accompaniments. Barbera and Ripasso are wines that can both be full-bodied enough and can also offer good acidity and moderate tannin. Ripasso also tends to have a slightly sweet style that can be useful with the sweet accompaniments.

Recipe for ribs

For 4 servings: 

• 2 kg of ribs
• 3 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. pepper
• 6 dl water

Preparation

1. Choose a rib with moderate fat. Make a nice checkerboard pattern in the skin with a good, sharp knife.
2. Rub salt and pepper well into the rib on both sides, making sure the seasoning also gets well down between the skin and the bone.
3. Place the thin rib with the skin side down on a baking sheet and cover it with aluminum foil. Leave it in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.
4. Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius. Place the rib on a rack over a deep baking sheet and pour the water into the baking sheet. Cover the rib with aluminum foil, making sure it is completely tight. Steam the rib for 50 minutes.
5. Remove the rib from the oven and turn it with the skin side up. Build up aluminum foil under the middle of the rib so that it is a little higher in the middle, this makes it easier for the fat to drain away from the rib. Check that the rib is roughly the same height on both sides.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 120 degrees Celsius and place the rib in the middle of the oven. Let it roast for about 2 hours. Turn up the oven temperature to 200 degrees and roast the ribs for another 45 minutes. The ribs should then have a golden and crispy skin. If this is not the case, you can puff up the skin by putting the grill element on the oven and grilling the skin for a few minutes, making sure not to burn the skin.
7. Remove the ribs from the oven and let it rest for a good 20 minutes before cutting into fine serving pieces. 
8. It is often served with medister cakes/ medister sausages, sauerkraut/ red cabbage, potatoes and rib fat. Some also use apples, prunes or cranberries on the side.