Asian Chilli Ribs
I have a collection of Pork Spare Rib recipes that ranges from American Slow-baked Spare Ribs, to Curries, Soups and Braises.
With such as range of choices, I usually pick up a pack or two of meaty Pork Spare Ribs at the supermarket each week. Whatever the dish, I usually prefer to buy ribs that have been trimmed and cut into individual pieces, rather than a rack or half-rack. When cooking, this allows each rib to get a coating of the rub or spices on all surfaces, enhancing the taste.
This is of course impractical for baking larger quantities, but fine with my usual cooking for two.
Braised Chilli Spare Ribs
This week’s recipe is a very simple braise done entirely on the stove-top. The secret to its great taste is a good quality sweet chilli sauce, good rice wine and Five Spice Powder.
Here in Thailand I use Mae Pranom dipping sauce. It is a sweet chilli sauce intended for grilled chicken, but it has such a fabulous taste that I decided to use it for the ribs, with excellent results. If you cannot get it, use Lingham’s Chilli Sauce or a similar sweet chilli sauce.
Without a doubt, pork spare ribs come out best when cooked low and slow, and a braise is no exception.
Whilst you can also slow-bake the ribs in the oven (for this I suggest you marinate the ribs for up to 4 hours), the glaze you get will not be as rich in flavour, for the simple reason the braise is finished off by cooking until all the liquid evaporates. This leaves a concentration of solids and rich flavour on the ribs that you will not get otherwise.
Serving
Great as a main dish or bar snack, sliced red chillies and whole garden chillies (chilli padi or prik ki nu suan) are a must for garnishing.
If cooking larger portions, have 1 extra sprig spring onions for each person. Trim off the upper section of the green tips, leaving about half to two-thirds as an intact sprig. Nice to nibble on as you eat the spare ribs.
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