Love my barbecued ribs, but now mostly abandon the myriad of American styles for this Thai-centric version.
Hits on all the right notes, especially the lime-fish sauce. for dredging. So damn good!
The hardest part: finding a bag big enough for the overnight marinade. A trick is to simply cut the racks in half before tucking them into a gallon zip-lock. (The then 6 pieces fit nicely into 2 bags.)
Heard of this back when a version was killing it at Pok Pok in Portland(now closed), something this tasty should not be so easy!
Ginger-Honey Ribs with Fish Sauce
Active Time: 30 MIN
Total Time: 6 HR 30 MIN
Serves: 5-6
Ingredients:
Ribs…
•3 racks “Baby Back” ribs (5-6 lbs.)
•1/3 cup soy sauce
•2 tablespoons honey
•2 tablespoons brown sugar
•2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
•1 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
•Healthy drizzle sesame oil
•Couple splashes cognac(or bourbon)
•Couple-few pinches cumin
•Couple-few pinches smoked paprika
Honey Glaze...
•1/4 cup honey
•Splash of hot water
Dipping Sauce...
• Juice and zest of 3-4 limes
•1/4 cup fish sauce
•1/4 cup soy sauce
•1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
•1/4 cup chopped cilantro
•2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions:
•In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the cognac(or bourbon), honey, sugar, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, cumin and smoked paprika.
•Place ribs in large zip-lock bags, pour the marinade over the ribs and turn to coat, refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
•Turn and rotate bags every couple of hours to distribute marinade evenly.(Note: You may need to slice rib racks in half to fit into bags.)
•In a small bowl, combine the honey with the hot water. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice and zest with the fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper flakes, cilantro and sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
•Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the ribs on the baking sheet, meaty side up. Roast for about 2 hours, until tender. Baste the ribs with the honey mixture and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until browned and glossy. Remove the ribs from the oven and baste again with the honey mixture.
•Preheat a grill. Grill the ribs over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Transfer the racks to a cutting board and cut into individual ribs. Arrange the ribs on a platter and serve the dipping sauce alongside.