If you like your ribs flavorful, this recipe is for you! Tamarind gives a sweet and tangy flavor to the sauce, balancing with the savory and complex flavors of the spice rub.
Ingredients (makes 1 rack of ribs)
1 rack of baby back pork ribs
1 lb (1 box) of sweet tamarind
1 cup room-temperature water
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Kitchen Tools
Baking sheet
Sieve
Aluminum foil
Basting brush
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 deg F.
In a small bowl, mix all the spices (salt, five spice powder, white pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder). Set aside.
Pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
Using a knife, separate the membrane from the underside of the ribs. Once you have a section separated, you should be able to easily peel off the rest of the membrane by hand. (+PRO TIP: If it's a little slippery to grab the membrane, use a paper towel to enhance your grip).
Place the ribs on a baking tray. Rub both sides of the ribs with the spice mixture. Place tray with ribs in the oven and cook for 1.5 hours.
Remove the ribs from the oven. Wrap in foil. Cook for another 1.5 hours. (PRO TIP: The foil helps keep the ribs nice and juicy!)
Meanwhile, remove and discard the shells and thick fibers from the tamarind pods. Place the peeled pods in a medium sized bowl. Add water to the bowl and let sit. After 20 minutes have passed, crush the pods with your hands. The fibers and the seeds will separate as you do this. Using a sieve over a small pot, strain the fibers and seeds. This will leave you with a tamarind slurry.
Heat the small pot with the tamarind slurry over medium high heat, until it begins to boil. Add the minced ginger and sugar and let cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when done.
Remove the ribs from the oven and open up the foil. Set the oven to Broil setting. Using a basting brush, glaze the ribs with the tamarind sauce. Broil for 3-5 minutes, until you get a nice little char!
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