Buffalo ribs
TypeFried fish
CourseMain course
Region or stateArkansas
Associated cuisineSoul food
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsBuffalo fish

Buffalo ribs is an Arkansas dish made from the fried ribs of the bigmouth buffalo fish.

History

Buffalo fish

The dish has historically been served at the Lassis Inn in Little Rock, Arkansas, which opened at an unknown date in the early 20th century.[1] It is served at restaurants and food trucks throughout Arkansas.[2] The dish is also served in parts of Mississippi[3] and Louisiana. They are considered to be a delicacy of southern cuisine.[4][5] Buffalo fish are sometimes looked down upon because of their boniness and their reputation as bottom feeders.[6][1] They have historically been more widely eaten by minority groups such as African-Americans,[7] and are considered soul food.[6] Southern Living included Lassis' buffalo ribs on its list of "The South's Best Soul Food".[8] In the 21st century, the popularity of buffalo ribs has declined to modernizing diet patterns.[9]

Description

Bigmouth buffalo fish have gamey white meat with a flaky texture that is streaked with fat.[10][11] With the exception of the meat around its ribs near the head,[6] the fish's flesh contains small, free-floating bones. The ribs, along with the boneless meat surrounding them, are typically removed as fillets or "slabs".[10][7] The ribs are prepared by breading them in an egg and cornmeal mixture,[12] before deep-frying them in a manner similar to catfish.[6][13] They are traditionally served with a side of french fries or hushpuppies.[11][2]

References

  1. 1 2 Edge, John T. (2007-01-01). Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South. Algonquin Books. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-1-56512-547-6.
  2. 1 2 "In Arkansas, Buffalo Ribs Are Actually Made Of Fish". Mashed. 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  3. ↑ Ownby, Ted; Wilson, Charles Reagan; Abadie, Ann J.; Lindsey, Odie; Jr, James G. Thomas (2017-05-25). The Mississippi Encyclopedia. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 445. ISBN 978-1-4968-1159-2.
  4. ↑ Horst, Jerald; Horst, Glenda (2013-08-16). Louisiana Seafood Bible, The: Fish Volume 2. Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-4556-1692-3.
  5. ↑ Nickens, T. Edward; Brantley, Will (2017-10-03). The Total Redneck Manual: 221 Ways to Live Large. Weldon Owen International. ISBN 978-1-68188-344-1.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Miller, Adrian (2013-08-15). Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time. UNC Press Books. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-4696-0763-4.
  7. 1 2 Horst, Jerald (2013-01-01). "Buffalo fish once were important freshwater food source". Louisiana Sportsman. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  8. ↑ Miller, Adrian (July 23, 2022). "The South's Best Soul Food". Southern Living. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  9. ↑ Hamada, Shingo; Wilk, Richard (2018-09-03). Seafood: Ocean to the Plate. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-27645-6.
  10. 1 2 "Chasing Arkansas buffalos". Arkansas Online. 2010-03-14. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  11. 1 2 "Buffalo Ribs". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  12. ↑ Lund, Jens (2021-10-21). Flatheads and Spooneys: Fishing for a Living in the Ohio River Valley. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-8477-7.
  13. ↑ "The Fish Ribs You've Probably Never Eaten". Tasting Table. 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
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