Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [34]
2. Discard the fat from the pot, add the garlic, beans, ginger, and chile, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the stock, soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the ribs, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for i’/i hours, or until the ribs are tender, turning them from time to time.
3. Transfer the ribs to a plate, and strain the sauce through a sieve into a glass measuring cup; reserve the garlic and other flavorings in the sieve. Let the sauce stand so the fat can rise to the top of the liquid. (At this point, the ribs, the flavorings in the sieve, and the sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated, separately, overnight. Remove the fat from the chilled sauce before proceeding.)
4. Return the garlic, beans, ginger, and chile to the pot. Remove the fat from the sauce, then pour the sauce into the pot and bring to a boil. Add the ribs and cook, turning the ribs until the sauce reduces and glazes the ribs. Stir in the green onions and serve.
Maple Tomato Glazed Ribs
Everybody has a favorite glaze for ribs. Some like it sweet and sticky, others like hot and spicy. I like both, and this recipe mixes sweet and hot. Increase the spiciness by adding more chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, if you wish. I’ve used back ribs but you could use spareribs or country style if you prefer.
3 racks of pork back ribs, about 3 pounds (1.35 kg)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
One 28-ounce (796 ml) can whole tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper, packed in adobo, seeded and finely diced, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
2 teaspoons tomato paste
½ cup (125 ml) maple syrup
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Remove the papery membrane from the bone side of the ribs (see below). Place the ribs in a single layer bone side down, on a rack in a roasting pan (use two pans if necessary). Season the meat side with salt and pepper, then add 2 cups (500 ml) water to the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the ribs are tender.
2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until they begin to color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes with their juice, chipotle pepper and sauce, and tomato paste and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat so the sauce bubbles gently and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the maple syrup. Puree in a blender until smooth.
4. Remove the ribs from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C). Transfer the ribs to one or two baking sheets lined with aluminum foil and brush with the glaze. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, brushing with the glaze. You could also glaze the ribs on a hot grill.
Variation
º Try the Mustard Oregano Glaze (page 111) on your pork ribs. Or use this glaze on lamb ribs (page 110).
TIP There is a papery membrane on the bone side of pork ribs that should be removed before cooking. Using a small sharp knife, detach the membrane from the bone at one end of the rack. Grab the loose piece of membrane with a dish cloth and pull it off.
Roast Leg of Pork with Crackling
When I was growing up, after church on Sunday, we always had a roast of some sort with all the trimmings, presented and carved at the table. My favorite was roast leg of pork with crackling. This is my Aunty Pat’s specialty, and she still makes it every Christmas, though she serves it at room temperature, more appropriate for the weather at that time of year in Australia. It is good hot or cold, but keeping the crackling crisp is more of a challenge when serving it cold.
Order the pork in advance, and ask the butcher to leave the skin on the rounded (top) side of the leg. The skin wraps right around the leg, but the underside will never crisp; have him remove that piece, or do it yourself—it’s not difficult. For