Helene's done it again!

[maddy]

I have printed off Helene's recipe and wanted to know if anyone has tried cooking  them in the slowcooker yet?
I thought I'd make the rub etc. today, and cook them in the s/cooker tomorrow.
It's going to be at least 37c here, so I'd rather the oven be off 

B.T.W.....I don't have mace.....is there a substitute for it, or can I just leave it out un-noticeably 

[judydawn]

This is an interesting substitution chart maddy
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blspicesub.htm

The amount of mace in Helene's recipe is miniscule so substituting something else would be fine. 

[maddy]

Thanks for that Judy! 
That's a very handy chart to have.  Just printed it off and stuck it up in my pantry 

[judydawn]

Great idea, might just do that myself 

[Meagan]

Maddy the oven is only on 135. I made these for tea yesterday  I also wondered about the slow cooker. Let us know how you go

[maddy]

Maddy the oven is only on 135.

O.K.    I'll see which way I decide 
I can't stand a hot house, and when our plumber plumbed water to our newish fridge, he cut off the pipe & disconnected the water to our air conditioning! 

[Ninny]

Oh yeah baby, i'm making them for sure!!!  Jenny

[maddy]

Actually I'm going to hold off making these with the ribs I have......the meat is pretty scant
I'll wait to get better quality ones, and cook them in the oven as Helene did......then I can compare them to the slow cooker version.

[achookwoman]

Mace is the husk on the outside of the nutmeg,  so nutmeg would do.  Most of the ribs available in victoria are the front ribs and they don't have much meat on them.  It would be best to go to a specialist butcher and tell him you want the ribs from the BACK of the pig,  not the front.   The other thing that you could do,  is buy a loin roast and cut the meat from the bones .   This isn't  difficult.   you then end up with a roast and ribs.   Or you could cut the loin into cutlets.    Helene,  thank you for this great recipe,  and I will certainly try it.

[maddy]

Good advice chookie 
I went to 2 butchers today.....and their ribs were worse!
There is a specialty butcher my parents use on the other side of town, so I shall look there next time.

[judydawn]

They are so expensive too for just bone with a touch of meat    What once would have been thrown by butchers into the dog's bone bin is now sold at great profits.  The same applies to lamb shanks, as lamb knuckles in the 'old days' they were boned out, the meat used for mince and the bones once again into the dog's bin.

[maddy]

They are so expensive too for just bone with a touch of meat    What once would have been thrown by butchers into the dog's bone bin is now sold at great profits.  The same applies to lamb shanks, as lamb knuckles in the 'old days' they were boned out, the meat used for mince and the bones once again into the dog's bin.

That is so true Judy!!
My hubby just cannot wrap his head around me cooking lamb shanks for dinner!
We use  our own lambs, and the shanks always went to the dogs.  So when he see's it on the menu at a restaurant.....he always has plenty to say about it    and usually something embarrassing 

[judydawn]

So he never orders them then    Most men I know love lamb shanks, including my DH an ex-butcher.

[achookwoman]

Went and checked out Safeway today.   $16 for some bones with a bit of meat on them.  They called them ribs,  but they were not.   Helene,  I need to apologize to you for what I am about to write. We may have to use pork belly in Australia.  Not the thin stuff but the belly that is about 3/4 cm. thick.  It would lend itself to your beautiful sauce,  as well as the long cooking.  I will check out the Queen Vic.  market next week and see if any of the Asian Butchers have any back ribs.

[meganjane]

I wonder if you could use pork chops? Remove some of the meat and use that for something else, just leaving enough for a meaty bone.