Dish of Marinated Pork Ribs w/ Dip
(click to enlarge)

Marinated Pork Ribs


Thai / California
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 app
***
4 hrs
Note-5		 This delicious appetizer is one of my favorites! I call it "Thai California" because I don't know the recipe's origin, though the ingredients are certainly Thai.
Ovens are very scarce in Thailand. A recipe like this would need to be wrapped in banana leaves and roasted over slow coals, which you can do if you wish (foil will also work). The color will be much lighter. This recipe has no intrinsic hotness - that comes from the dipping sauce used.

3
----
5-1/2
8
2
6
3/4
2/3
1/2
1
4
2
----
ar
#
---
oz

in
cl
c
t
t
T
T
T
---

Spare Ribs (1)
-- Marinade
Shallots
Scallions
Ginger root
Garlic
Cilantro (2)
Salt
Black Pepper
Palm Sugar (3)
Soy Sauce
Fish Sauce
-- Serve with
Dipping Sauce (4)  
Prep   (2-1/2 hrs - 25 min work)
  1. Separate PORK RIBS and cut into 2 inch lengths. The best way to do this is with a sharp Chinese cleaver knife and a soft faced mallet to drive it through the bones.
  2. Slice SHALLOTS thin. Chop SCALLIONS medium. Peel off any grungy parts of GINGER, slice very thin and chop fine. Crush GARLIC and chop medium.
  3. Chop CILANTRO from the stem ends (see Note-2) and chop coarse.
  4. Mix together all Marinade items and run in a mini-prep food processor (or pound in your big stone mortar) until reduced to a paste.
  5. Masage Marinade into Pork Ribs and marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Turn now and then.
  6. Make Chili Herb Dipping Sauce or sauce of your choice
Run   (1-1/2 hrs)
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
  2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange ribs on the sheet and place in the oven. Let them roast for 1-1/4 hours, turning the sheet around at the midpoint so they'll be more even.
  3. Serve warm with the Dipping Sauce.
NOTES:

  1. Spare Ribs:

      Because this recipe is long cooked, thicker, meatier ribs can be used, including those with a lot of cartilage.

  2. Cilantro Stems:

      In Thailand fresh cilantro roots are much used, but they are nearly impossible to get even here in Los Angeles. The best we can do is use the stems which have a flavor half way between roots and leaves. Start chopping your cilantro from the stem end, reserving the leafy ends for another use (a few leaves in the mix is ok).

  3. Palm Sugar:

      If you don't have this use a light turbinado or similar sugar.

  4. Chili Herb Sauce:

      Of course you can use other dipping sauces, but this one is delicious and highly compatible with the marinade. See our recipe Chili Herb Sauce.

  5. Do Ahead:

      If preparing in advance you can refrigerate in the marinade overnight, or you can finish roast the ribs and refrigerate, reheating them in a 350° oven until they sizzle.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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