Tamarind is sweet, sour, and quite tart and provides the ideal base for this finger-licking glaze.
To make this finger-licking good recipe use Pretoria Primal Traders as your pork product supplier.
Recipe from Bon Appetit
INGREDIENTS
Ribs
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2 racks baby back pork ribs (1,3 – 1,8 kg total), halved crosswise
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140g ginger, peeled, chopped
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1 orange wedge (about ⅛ of orange)
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5 star anise pods
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2½ cups unfiltered apple juice
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1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt
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6 habanero chiles, halved lengthwise, seeds removed if desired, divided
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¼ cup plus ⅓ (lightly packed) light brown sugar
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½ cup ketchup
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⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
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¼ cup tamarind concentrate
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3 tablespoons honey
Salad and Assembly
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Vegetable oil (for grill)
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Kosher salt
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1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
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½ small red onion, thinly sliced
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½ serrano chile, very thinly sliced
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2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
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Micro cilantro and/or cilantro sprigs and lime wedges (for serving)
Ingredient Info
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Often labeled “concentrate cooking tamarind” or “paste,” tamarind concentrate can be found at Asian markets and online.
RECIPE PREPARATION
Ribs
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Place ribs in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot. Add ginger, orange wedge, star anise, apple juice, salt, half of the chiles, and ¼ cup brown sugar. Pour in water just to cover pork and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat so liquid is at a very gentle simmer, partially cover pot, and braise, turning racks a few times, until meat is fork-tender and nearly (but not quite) falling off the bones, 1½–2 hours. Chop remaining chiles while ribs are cooking and set aside.
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Carefully transfer ribs to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Cut between ribs to create 2-rib pieces.
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Meanwhile, crank up the heat under the Dutch oven to high and add ketchup, vinegar, tamarind concentrate, honey, remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar, and reserved chopped chiles to braising liquid. Cook, stirring often, until glaze is thick enough to coat a spoon (it should be reduced to 1–1½ cups), 30–45 minutes. Strain into a large measuring cup; discard solids. Let settle so oil rises to the surface. Pour off oil into a small bowl; set aside.
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Do Ahead: Ribs can be braised 1 day ahead. Let cool in liquid; cover and chill.
Salad and Assembly
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Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil grate. Working one at a time, dip ribs into glaze to coat. Grill ribs, turning several times, until glaze is lightly charred, about 5 minutes total. Transfer ribs to a platter; season with salt. Drizzle with remaining glaze and reserved oil.
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Toss cucumber, onion, chile, and lime juice in a medium bowl to combine; season with salt. Scatter salad over ribs and top with micro cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.