Anyone who thinks that rhubarb is just for desserts should try this fantastic ribs recipe featuring rhubarb in its sweet, tangy, spicy sauce. If you like heat, increase the amount of cayenne in the sauce. Any leftover sauce is great with chicken!
- 3 lbs. country-style pork ribs
- 1 T. olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 T. minced ginger
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 2 c. chicken broth
- 1/4 c. mirin
- 2 T. honey
- 1/2 lb. rhubarb, tops removed and ends trimmed
- 1/4 c. soy sauce
- 1/3 c. dark brown sugar
- 2 T. rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Trim any excess fat from the ribs. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the ribs in batches, setting the browned ribs in a bowl. When they are all browned, return them to the Dutch oven along with the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Cover the Dutch oven and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the chicken broth, mirin and honey to the ribs in the Dutch oven. Place it over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to the oven. Bake until the ribs are tender -- about 1 1/2 hours.
Prepare the Asian-Rhubarb Sauce. Wash and roughly chop the rhubarb. Pulse the rhubarb in a food processor until very finely chopped.
Transfer the ribs to a broiler pan. Add the rhubarb to the cooking liquid. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes more or until the mixture is thickened and bubbly.
Brush some of the sauce over the ribs. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Flip the ribs and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve the ribs with extra sauce for dipping.
- Yields: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: about 3 hours