If you’re used to cooking slabs of ribs that need a few hours of slow-cooking to render them tender and delicious, try these baby back ribs instead. Cut between the bones into individual strips, baby back ribs pick up lots of flavor and cook (relatively) quickly on the stovetop. Blended to a paste, shallots and lemongrass provide body and flavor, clinging to the meat as they reduce into an aromatic sauce. As a reminder, baby back ribs are not from, um, baby pigs. (It just has to be said!) They’re called as such simply because they come from the top section of the ribs, closer to the backbone, and are smaller in size compared with spareribs or St. Louis–style ribs.
What you’ll need
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$90 At Amazon
Tongs
$17 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Purée 4 large shallots, coarsely chopped, 6 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, 4 lemongrass stalks, woody tops trimmed, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced, one 1" piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar, ¼ cup fish sauce, 1 red or green Thai chile or 2 large serrano chiles, thinly sliced, 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and 1 cup water in a blender until mostly smooth.
Step 2
Pat 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4 lb. total) dry, then remove silverskin from bones (lift and loosen with a knife and it should pull away in a single sheet; removing allows spices to penetrate the meat better and avoids a tough texture) and discard. Cut between bones to make individual riblets. Season lightly with kosher salt and pepper.
Step 3
Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Cook one third to half of ribs (to avoid crowding pan), meaty side down, until browned, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining ribs, cooking in 1 or 2 more batches and adding 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil to pan for each.
Step 4
Return all of the ribs to pot; add shallot mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-low. Cover; continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a bare simmer, until meat is tender, 40–45 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking over medium, stirring often, until sauce is thickened and lightly coats ribs, about 15 minutes more.
Step 5
Transfer ribs to a platter. Arrange lime wedges, cilantro leaves with tender stems, and more chile around.
