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Instant Pot Cider Braised Country Ribs with Herbed Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Apple Onion Gravy

Instant Pot your way to these cider braised country ribs from https://meatified.com, a Fall favorite dish paired with creamy whipped sweet potatoes and comforting apple onion gravy.
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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Ingredients

Scale

for the cider braised country ribs:

for the herbed whipped sweet potatoes:

  • 2 1/2 lbs / 1.1 kg white sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml reserved rendered fat from the pork
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml coconut milk (see notes)
  • 1 tsp / 5 g fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

  1. BROWN: Pat the country ribs dry and cut each piece in half. Heat a skillet over medium heat with the fat of your choice. If your country ribs have a large layer of fat along one side, add them to the skillet fat side down first. Cook, rendering the fat, until the fat has brown. Turn the country rib pieces and continue to brown them on both of their thickest sides, about 5 minutes or so a side. Transfer the browned country ribs to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces, if necessary. Reserve the rendered fat from the skillet for later.
  2. LAYER: Add the apple cider and 2 tbsp / 30 ml of the apple cider vinegar to the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Place the browned country ribs into the insert in layers, largest pieces on the bottom. Peel the onions and chop them into half moon pieces about 1/2 inch / 1 cm thick. Chop each of the apples into eight pieces and discard the cores – no need to peel them. Tuck the apple and onion pieces into the Instant Pot between and around the country ribs. Add the rosemary and thyme, then sprinkle with salt.
  3. PRESSURE COOK: Pop the Instant Pot lid on and set the vent to sealing. Use the Meat & Stew setting and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and let the meat rest for 15 minutes before using quick release.
  4. BOIL: If you can, preheat your oven’s warming setting. While the country ribs are resting, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into chunks. Add them to a saucepan and cover them with just boiled water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until they are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and let them sit for a few minutes while they release steam – this helps reduce any potential gumminess later.
  5. SIMMER: Use tongs to remove and discard the herb stems. Transfer the cooked country ribs to a plate or platter, cover and keep them warm in the oven. Use a stick blender to puree together the liquid and leftover apple and onion mixture in the Instant Pot until you have a smooth sauce. You should have a little over 3 cups / 720 ml of liquid total. Taste and add extra salt if you like, along with the remaining 1 tbsp / 15 ml of apple cider vinegar. Use the Saute function and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook until the gravy darkens and reduce to 3 cups / 720 ml for a looser gravy or even further to 2 cups / 480 ml if you like a super thick gravy, about 5 – 15 minutes.
  6. WHIP: While the gravy is reducing, add the cooked sweet potatoes to the bowl of a food processor, along with the reserved rendered fat. Roughly chop, then scrape down the sides and add the coconut milk, salt, rosemary and thyme. Whip together until smooth and creamy.
  7. SERVE: On a large platter, make a bed of whipped sweet potatoes, then top with the country ribs and serve the gravy on the side for family style. Alternatively, divide the mash between plates and portion the country ribs as you like, then drizzle with the gravy to taste.

Notes

I’ve tested this recipe out several times, using differing thicknesses of boneless country ribs and there is very little difference in the end result. 1 inch / 2.5 cm thick rib slices will give you about 6 – 7 ribs for the weight, while 2 inch / 5 cm thick rib slices will give you about 3 – 4 pieces for the weight.

If your ribs are on the thinner side, reduce the cook time to 30 minutes and rest just as the recipe suggests. If you like (and if they’ll fit into the Instant Pot insert), you can leave the thinner rib slices whole instead of cutting them in half.

Not crazy about coconut? Leave it out, adding 2 tbsp / 30 ml of broth and an extra 1 tbsp / 15 ml fat of your choice.

Find it online: https://meatified.com/instant-pot-cider-braised-country-ribs/