Fried Ribs — The Recipe I Brought to the Table When It Was Finally My Turn

MawMaw Shirley's birthday. October 22nd, 2022. I drove to Baker on Saturday morning with a grocery list and a plan and the cast iron pot in the back seat — not MawMaw Shirley's pot, my own pot that Mama gave me for graduation, a Lodge 6-quart Dutch oven that is learning what it means to be seasoned. I arrived at MawMaw Shirley's kitchen by 8 a.m. She was already there, sitting at the table with coffee, watching me carry in the bags. She said, "What are you doing?" I said, "I am making your birthday gumbo." She said, "In my kitchen?" I said, "In your kitchen." She sat back in her chair and looked at me and I saw something in her face that I did not have a word for until later: it was time. She was looking at time passing through me, the way time passes through all of us, and she was measuring the distance between the girl who needed a step stool and the woman who walked in carrying her own pot.

I made the gumbo. Dark roux — thirty-five minutes, chocolate color, no help. Andouille from Don's, sliced thick. Fresh okra, cut on the bias. Crab from the seafood counter at Rouses. I stirred and she watched. She did not correct me. Not once. She drank her coffee and she watched and when the roux hit the right color she nodded, just a small nod, and I added the onions and the kitchen filled with the sound that onions make when they hit a hot roux, which is the sound of something transforming into something better.

The family came at noon. Daddy and Mama, Kayla, Uncle Terrence in his tie. The table was set and the gumbo was ready and I served it in MawMaw Shirley's bowls, in MawMaw Shirley's kitchen, from a pot that was not MawMaw Shirley's but was made worthy by the recipe inside it. MawMaw Shirley tasted it. The table was silent, the way tables are silent when something important is being evaluated. She put down her spoon and said, "Little dark, baby, but we'll allow it." Which is practically a standing ovation. Which is MawMaw Shirley saying: you are ready. Not in those words. In better words. In gumbo words.

Terrence had two bowls. He said it tasted like his mother's, which it did, because it was his mother's recipe made by his mother's granddaughter. He got quiet after saying it. The quiet was full. Nobody filled it. We just let the gumbo and the quiet and the birthday and the family sit together in the kitchen in Baker, and it was enough. It was more than enough. It was everything.

MawMaw Shirley’s gumbo recipe lives in my hands now, and I keep it close — but when people ask me what to cook for a family gathering, when they want something bold and Southern that fills the kitchen with a smell that says someone loves you, I point them toward these fried ribs. They carry that same spirit: seasoned with patience, built for a crowded table, the kind of thing Uncle Terrence would have a second plate of without a word. If you’re not ready for the roux yet, start here — and let the cast iron do its work.

Fried Ribs

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr (plus 2 hr marinating) | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs pork spare ribs, cut into individual ribs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil or lard, for frying (enough to fill pan 2–3 inches)

Instructions

1. Marinate the ribs. Pat ribs dry and place in a large zip bag or baking dish. Whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce and pour over ribs. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
2. Make the seasoned flour. In a wide shallow bowl, whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, thyme, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
3. Dredge the ribs. Remove ribs from buttermilk one at a time, letting excess drip off. Press each rib firmly into the seasoned flour on all sides, shaking off any loose coating. Set on a wire rack and let rest 10 minutes so the crust adheres.
4. Heat the oil. Pour oil into a heavy cast iron skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of 2–3 inches. Heat over medium-high to 350°F. Use a thermometer — temperature control is the difference between crispy and greasy.
5. Fry in batches. Working in small batches to avoid crowding, carefully lower ribs into the hot oil. Fry 8–10 minutes per batch, turning once halfway through, until the crust is deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Adjust heat as needed to maintain 350°F.
6. Drain and season. Transfer fried ribs to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Season immediately with a pinch of kosher salt while still hot. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
7. Serve. Serve with hot sauce, white bread, and whatever sides your table calls for. These ribs do not need much help.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 34g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 610mg