Spicy chilli, ginger & white pepper sticky pork ribs

If I were told the world would end tomorrow, my first thought would be, "What am I going to eat for dinner?" One dish that would definitely make the cut for my last meal would be these mouth-watering ribs. Pork, being the most widely consumed meat globally, makes this recipe a worthy contender for a final feast. Historically, pork ribs have been enjoyed since humans first started cooking, so let's dive into making these delightful ribs, shall we?

For this dish, I sourced a whole rack of pork ribs from our fantastic supplier, Swaledale, based in Yorkshire. A good rack should have plenty of meat and fat, weighing roughly 1-1.5kg, perfect for slow cooking. The rib meat, due to its constant movement during the animal's life, can be tough if not cooked properly. To avoid a chewy disaster, we'll cook these ribs low and slow until they're tender enough to fall off the bone.

Ingredients:

• 1 rack pork ribs (1-1.5kg)

• 200ml ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy)

• 1 stick lemongrass, sliced wafer-thin

• 2 fresh long red chillies, thinly sliced

• 2 fresh long green chillies, thinly sliced

• 20g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 3 tbsp fish sauce, more to taste

• 100g caster sugar

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 fresh bird's eye chilli, thinly sliced

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced, stems removed

• 2 tbsp white peppercorns, ground to a powder

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted

• 1 fresh lime, cut into cheeks for garnish

• 30g coriander, washed and picked

Optinal Garnish:

• 2 tbsp crispy shallots

• prik nahm pla, fish sauce, lime juice and chopped birds eye chillies mixed together.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. While it heats, make the marinade by combining ketjap manis, caster sugar, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chillies, garlic, cumin, and white peppercorns in a food processor, or pound them with a pestle and mortar to form a coarse paste.

2. Coat the ribs in the marinade, ensuring all the meat is covered. Ideally, leave the ribs to marinate overnight in the fridge, or for at least an hour at room temperature. If you're in a hurry, cover them in foil and pop them straight into the oven at 160°C for 2-2.5 hours until tender. Check after 2 hours; the bones should slide out effortlessly when ready.

3. For a barbecue, cook the ribs on low/medium heat (around 160°C), basting regularly with leftover marinade.

4. To serve, place the ribs on a plate and garnish with lime wedges and coriander. These ribs pair wonderfully with steamed jasmine rice and a fresh salad. Serve the sliced bird's eye chilli in a small bowl with fish sauce to make 'prik nahm pla', a spicy and salty condiment.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the recipe, and perhaps I'll see you at Farang soon for a bite.