Danish Spareribs

A Danish stuffed rib roast built from a single uncut sheet of spareribs, folded over fruit and stitched shut. The whole thing depends on getting a flat, pliable rack, so start there.

• The cutYou want a whole side of spareribs, untrimmed and in one piece. Cracking the bones means scoring across them with a heavy knife or cleaver so the slab bends without tearing; ask the butcher to do it and to leave the rack intact.
• Oven temperatureNo heat is given. A moderate oven, 350F, suits the stated time; the shallow water in the pan keeps the underside from scorching.
• Soaking the fruitPrunes and dried apple rings both want about 30 minutes in hot water or cider until plump, then drained. If you use fresh apples they need no soaking, only slicing; a firm variety holds its shape where a soft one collapses to sauce.
• Sewing it upUse a trussing needle and undyed cotton butcher's twine, stitching the long edges closed so the fruit cannot escape as the fat renders. Skewers laced with twine work if you have no needle.
• Timing and donenessAn hour and a half at 350F is right for a slab of this size, but check the meat at the thickest point rather than the clock: 160F or above, with the meat pulling from the bone. Stuffed roasts heat more slowly than bare ones, so allow extra if the rack is heavy.
• Water in the pan"A little water" is best read as no more than a shallow depth in the pan, replenished if it cooks dry. It should never rise far enough to poach the underside of the ribs.
• FinishingSnip and pull every thread before it goes to the table, then rest the roast ten minutes so the fruit juices settle. Cut across the ribs into thick portions.
• YieldThe recipe gives no yield; a whole side of ribs will feed about four. Boiled potatoes and pickled beets are the traditional plate here, and the beets' sharpness is doing real work against the fat.