Sticky Spicy Asian Pork Short Ribs

Awwww. Short Pork ribs... These little finger licking good pieces of meat bring me much happiness. There
are many ways you can make those.. quite simple and easy I might add. Whichever you decide to add to your marinade, I can assume it can't go that wrong.

So here are some basics to prep your meat, in order to get succulent and tender short ribs, alongside of of my latest concoctions, a mixture of sauces and spices I had in my pantry.

In addition, I'll explain some of those Asian necessities you should carry at home, mainly if you like Asian flavors, but surprisingly you can and should try adding those to any basic meals to add up in textures and taste. 

To start, get yourself some Short Pork ribs, I purchase mine from C&T Marché, http://www.marchect.ca/ as previously mentioned in my blog, their prices and freshness is outstanding.. And obviously you can't go wrong buying Pork fresh meat from an Asian store... after all that is crucial to their eating habits, thus freshness is an undeniable key to their success. 

Best cooking tool for those little babies is a cast iron pot, such as Creuset, the benefits of Cast iron are outstanding. From searing to retaining heat, you are sure to use and love your cast iron pots. Quite pricey, but you can find some almost everywhere, including Homesense and Amazon; http://www.amazon.ca/

Ingredients for Pork only

Pork Spare ribs approx 2 lbs 

1 onion in quarts 

Garlic cloves peeled cut in half  

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar 

1/2 tsp crushed Pepper 

2 Large Bay leaves 

Heat pot with a drizzle of Oil (Vegetable, Corn or EVVO) on high. Rinse with water and dab your ribs with paper towel. cut in half approx 5-6" long and sprinkle salt, sugar and Pepper. Rub with your hands and carefully place flat in the pot to brown. Do not overlap as you need to sear each side. If needed sear and remove or set aside in the pot while you complete the rest of the meat. Once nicely browned on both sides, approx 2 minutes each, add onions, garlic and bay leaves. Fill pot with tap water till completely covered and let cook on Med-High heat for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to med-low and continue for approx 45 minutes. This will tenderize the meat and give it's nice meaty taste. 

Place a large strainer over a deep plate and carefully remove the ribs and place in an oven proof baking dish. (You need the meat to still be somewhat attached to the bones. If they already come apart, it will fall apart afterwards.)

In a second large bowl, preferably with spout, place another strainer with handle preferably, and pour the broth, separating the cooked onions and garlic. Set the broth aside and let cool completely. You will only need about 1 cup of the broth for the recipe. Get some clean glass jars with lids and fill to the top. Once completely cool, you can store in the fridge or freezer for further broth needs. (Cool completely before putting in the freezer, if not the glass jar can crack.)

This is a trick my grandmother gave me.. it's the best way to give an amazing taste and texture to your marinade. In a separate bowl, place the strainer with the onions over the bowl and with a wooden spoon, crush the onions, then spoon the puree from under the strainer and leave in the bowl. You can do this before or after you combine the marinade ingredients.. Once done, combine all below marinade ingredients and gently whisk. You can taste and alter as per your desire. 

Ingredients for Marinade
1/2 to 1 cup of broth (from the ribs)
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp Sriracha
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Fish sauce
1/8 tsp Sesame oil
1/2 tsp Chili paste
1/4 ground cloves
1/2 tsp Lemon grass powder
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/8 Cardamon powder (not necessary)
1 tbsp honey or corn syrup
1/4 cup ketchup


Cooking:

You can refrigerate and marinate overnight or start cooking straight away. The boiling has tenderized the meat already, thus it will still be extremely tender. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees f. Remove the baking dish from the fridge and set aside at room temperature for approx 15-20 minutes. Cover the ribs with aluminum foil and insert in the oven center rack for approx 30 minutes. Turn ribs and continue cooking uncovered at 400 degrees f for approx 20-25 minutes. The sauce should thicken at this point and the bones should easily come off the meat. I tend to finish the cooking on High Broil while keeping an eye on it not too burn or dry up, to crisp up the ribs, as the sugar and sauces caramelize and give the ribs a nice texture. (obviously if it's summer, you can use your barbecue but be careful as the ribs are much smaller than back ribs and can slip through the grill) 

Remove from the oven, set aside for a few minutes before serving. I like to cut them into pieces and serve over Chow mein or Asian Shanghai noodles, if so place the ribs with tongs on a wooden board and cut through each bones.

Hope you enjoy

Sincerely T @stuffedfaces