Moldova | Friptura de Porc (Traditional Pork Ribs)

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE I USED

Moldova doesn't appear to have many bloggers sharing traditional recipes or just what they make for a normal weeknight dinner so it was a little bit of a challenge for me.

It's cuisine is similar to other Eastern European countries so it was also challenging to find something different than previous meals.

These ribs along with the radish coleslaw and mamaliga (a kind of polenta-ish side) in the link piqued my interest. Ribs just happened to be on sale at the store so I took that as a sign to make this meal!

Fripture de Porc: The ribs are seasoned with salt and pepper and then braised with onions and bay leaves for a bit. They take on quite a bit of flavor from the onions and salt and pepper and, by the end of the cooking process, the meat is very tender. Most of the cooking time for the ribs is passive so it gave me time to prepare the two sides.

Moldovan Style Radish Coleslaw: It's coleslaw with radishes and a strong dill flavor. I love dill and radishes so this was right up my alley.

Mamaliga (Moldovan Polenta): I am still trying to figure out polenta and polenta-like dishes. I tried pre-made polenta from the grocery store and did not enjoy it at all. I've made a couple of recipes from other countries that are similar to but not exactly like polenta and they were better but I didn't love them. None have become part of my meal rotation. Mamaliga is pretty bland on it's own. The linked site recommends topping it with sour cream and I did and that made it much better. A bite of the ribs and onions with the sour cream and mamaliga was DELICIOUS.

All in all, it was a good meal and I will happily eat the leftovers but it wasn't outstanding. I'm glad I tried it and glad it expanded my corn meal/corn flour/polenta-ish horizons. I don't think I will make it again. If I'm going to braise ribs, I will go back to the recipe from Ecuador that was amazingly good.