Polenta con spuntature di maiale (Polenta with Spare ribs)

I attended a cooking demonstration class yesterday at Espaco Gourmet Academia
This is one of the four dishes that chef Giorgio Ridolfi demonstrated. Today, I tried out the recipe myself.

Ingredients:

For Rib Sauce:
3 cloves of garlic (center removed)
1 onion (or red onion)
1 kg spare ribs
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of white wine
3 cups chopped tomatoes
3 cups puree tomato
Salt to taste

For polenta:
400 g mixed polenta
3 L beef broth

To make Spare ribs:
1. Add oil into pot, saute onion, garlic until golden brown. Add rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 3 mins.
2. Add ribs into the pot. Use a spatula to move the ribs around so that each side will be cooked. Add a pinch of salt.
3. Once the meat is sealed, add wine (while pot is still hot). Let it cook for about 3 mins. Cover the pot and lower heat. Turn ribs once in a while and cook for about 20 mins.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, let it cook for 10 mins, then add tomato puree. Cover lid again and cook for another 2 hours. Again turn ribs once in a while. Sauce should be reduced once done.


To make polenta:
1. Heat 2 L of beef brooth but do not bring to a boil. Once the brooth is hot, sprinkle polenta into the pot slowly. Whisk the mixture while adding polenta. Continue to add polenta. If the mixture becomes too thick add more broth. The mixture should be runny in the beginning.
2. Contiue to stir the mixture with a whisk for another 30 mins under low heat.
3. Change to a wooden spatula for stirring under low heat for another 10 mins. Remove pot from the stove.
4. Rest the polenta for about 10 mins before serving.

Tip: While serving polenta, have a bowl of cold water ready. Dip the serving spoon into the cold water after each scoop to prevent the polenta from sticking onto the serving spoon.

To serve:
Place the polenta on a wooden plate top with spareribs. Enjoy!