Notes on ribs:
I use fairly meaty pork ribs so 1.4 kilos gives me about 15 ribs. Pork needs vinegar to break down the ammonia and get rid of that smell. The garlic is chopped and pounded. This is very important so that the marinade is really smooth. While making a marinade, you need to have a little bit more salt than you would expect because it will mellow out in the cooking.
Further to my note on prepping for the marinade, do note that the way you chop and slice some of these ingredients makes a big difference to how the taste is delivered. You’re looking for pockets of flavour rather than all of it blended together to make a puree.
While searing the ribs, do it in small batches otherwise the temperature will come down and the ribs will boil rather than fry. You’re looking for a lovely golden color. We’re not looking to cook the pork. We just want the color to come on the outside.
Notes on accompaniments:
The salad is a quick and easy one. It is sharp and tangy, to balance out the sweetness of the pork. Burnt garlic is a very good garnish for sticky rice. Toasted sesame seeds work well with the pork. I use the leaves of the spring onion chopped finely to garnish the whole dish. As I’ve said before slicing and chopping matters. The garlic should be chopped finely to ensure that it cooks evenly. Sticky rice is easy to cook if you follow the proportions and the method. The ratio of rice to water is five cups of water at room temperature for two cups of rice. This ratio is very important because we’re not going to drain the water away.
Sticky ribs with jasmine rice
Description
Sticky ribs melts in the mouth and the Asian inspired flavors work really well with jasmine rice and spicy cabbage salad.
To make this dish:
Pork marinade
Cooking juices for pork
Salad
Sticky rice
Garnish
Instructions
Marinate pork ribs
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Wash and drain pork ribs.
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Finely chop and pound garlic and coarsely grind pepper.
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Combine marinade ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.
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Check salt and spice levels and pour over ribs. The marinade should be slightly overpowering.
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Massage the marinade into the ribs.
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Set aside for 3 hours. This stage can be done overnight as well.
Prepare cooking juices
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Make beef stock and chop the vegetables.
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Ginger is thinly sliced, shallots finely chopped, tomatoes are rough chopped.
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Sear the ribs in a hot pan with sesame oil.
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We need to get colour on the outside. We're not looking to cook the ribs. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Do this in small batches.
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Reserve any remaining marinade to add to the pan juices.
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Deglaze the frying pan with a bit of boiling water and collect the juices. Add this to the reserve marinade.
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Fry anise in sesame oil to release the flavour.
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Saute shallots till translucent.
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Add ginger and tomatoes and sautee for a few minutes.
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Add pan juices and check for salt. Boil for a few minutes.
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Now add beef stock and honey and boil for a few minutes.
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Transfer to a roasting dish and bring the liquid to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160C.
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Add the ribs to the liquid and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Turn over once to ensure both sides are soaked with the cooking juices.
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Transfer to the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes.
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Turn the ribs over and roast for another 30 minutes. While the ribs are cooking we can prepare the rest of the dish.
Salad
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Rough chop the lettuce and cabbages.
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Add all of the flavour ingredients and toss together. Set aside, refrigerated.
Prepare garnish
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Finely chop spring onion leaves and garlic.
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Add sesame seeds to a very hot pan and let the colour change, stirring occasionally.
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The colour should turn brown after 5-6 minutes.
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Transfer to a dish and set aside.
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Add sesame oil to the hot pan and fry garlic.
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Spread it around the pan and stir occasionally, allowing the heat to brown it. After 5-6 minutes the garlic will change colour.
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Set aside to cool.
Make sticky rice
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Wash the rice a few times, then set aside to soak for a few minutes.
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Finely chop the spring onion bulbs and stems
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Add the rice to room temperature water and bring to a slow boil on medium heat. This should take about 5 minutes.
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Add spring onion, sesame oil and salt to the rice as it warms up.
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Swirl the rice around occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
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After 5 minutes, when you see bubbles forming on the sides and in the middle, turn the heat down.
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Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.
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After 5 minutes, uncover and gently lift the rice from the bottom of the pot. Use a wooden spoon to prevent the rice from breaking. check the rice. It should be moist, but cooked all the way to the middle.
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Turn up the heat to medium and gently dry out the rice. Run a fork gently through the rice to release steam and separate the grains.
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When the rice has lost it dampness, remove from the flame and set aside. It should be sticky but separate.
If you swirl the rice around too much, it will get sticky but won't cook in the middle as not enough heat has reached the middle. Make sure to lift the rice from the bottom while swirling, to prevent it from burning during simmer. Use a wooden spoon to handle the delicate grains.
Final cooking of ribs
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After 1 hour in the oven, finish off the ribs on the hob or bbq to reduce the liquids and make the ribs sticky. Place the roasting tray on a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.
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Turn the ribs around and cook for another 5 minutes.
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The ribs will become saturated in flavour and coated in the delicious sticky sauce.
To serve
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Now that all the components are ready, its time to serve.
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Stack up the ribs on a plate and pour all of the sticky sauce over it.
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Ladle rice and salad. Sprinkle roasted garlic on the rice, toasted sesame on the ribs and spring onion leaves over everything. Enjoy this delicious dish!!
