One of my favorite things to cook sous vide are ribs. One of the reasons for this is sous vide can fully tenderize the ribs without any risk of drying them out. The ribs can then be finished however you like, usually by searing, grilling, or even briefly smoking them.

Making sous vide ribs is a pretty quick and easy process. The ribs are first seasoned and then cooked at 131°F  for beef ribs or either 135°F  or 141°F  for pork ribs. Depending on the type of ribs they are cooked anywhere from 8 hours to several days.

Since we used country style ribs in this recipe we sous vide the ribs for 8 to 12 hours. This time frame makes these sous vide ribs ideal for busy weeks because you can put them in the sous vide machine in the morning when you leave for work and they will be done when you get home.

To top the sous vide ribs we use some apples cooked down with butter and brown sugar then topped with lemon juice and mint. Apples are a common pairing with pork ribs and it goes well here.

Ingredients

For the Sous Vide Ribs

• 4 pounds country style ribs
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder or chile powder of your choice
• Pepper

Finishing Ingredients

For the Apples

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3-4 red apples, cored and sliced
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

Pre-Bath

1. In a bowl mix together all the spices. Cut the ribs into pieces that will easily fit into your sous vide bags. Coat the country style ribs with the spice mix.
   
2. Place the ribs into the sous vide pouches then seal. Be sure you don’t seal the ribs too tightly or the bones may pierce the bag.
   
3. At this point you can store the pouch in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, freeze it for up to 6 months, or cook it right away.
   

Cooking the Sous Vide Ribs

1. On the morning of the day you want to eat, preheat your sous vide water bath to 135°F / 57.2°C.
   
2. Place the pouch in the water bath for 8 to 12 hours.

Finishing the Sous Vide Ribs

1. Preheat two pans to medium-high heat.
   
2. Melt the butter in one pan. Add the apples and cook until they turn tender.
3. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and lemon juice and stir to combine.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove from the heat and top with the chopped mint.
   
6. Remove the sous vide pouches from the water bath and take the sous vide ribs out of the sous vide pouches and pat them dry.
   
7. Add oil to the other pan and warm.
8. Quickly cook the sous vide ribs just until the meat is seared, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
9. Take off the heat and serve with the apples.