Baby Back Ribs with Tamarind Glaze
Pork ribs first braised tender in a spiced apple-juice and habanero broth, then grilled with a sticky tamarind glaze and topped with a bright cucumber salad.
⏱️ Prep: 20 min🍳 Cook: 150 min
Ingredients
| 2 | racks baby back pork ribs (3½–4 lb total) | |
| 5 oz | 140 g | ginger, peeled, chopped |
| 1 | orange wedge | |
| 5 | star anise pods | |
| 2 1/2 cups | 600 ml | unfiltered apple juice |
| 1 Tbsp | 15 ml | kosher salt |
| 6 | habanero chiles, halved, divided | |
| — | light brown sugar (¼ cup + ⅓ cup) | |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | ketchup |
| 1/3 cup | 80 ml | apple cider vinegar |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | tamarind concentrate |
| 3 Tbsp | 45 ml | honey |
| — | vegetable oil (for grill) | |
| 1 | Persian cucumber, thinly sliced | |
| 1/2 | small red onion, thinly sliced | |
| 1/2 | serrano chile, thinly sliced | |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | fresh lime juice |
| — | cilantro and lime wedges, for serving |
Instructions
- Place ribs in a large Dutch oven with ginger, orange wedge, star anise, apple juice, salt, half the chiles and ¼ cup brown sugar. Add water to just cover, bring to a simmer, then braise gently, partially covered, turning a few times, until nearly falling off the bone, 1½–2 hours. Chop the remaining chiles and set aside.
- Transfer ribs to a baking sheet, cool, and cut into 2-rib pieces.
- Crank the heat under the pot to high; add ketchup, vinegar, tamarind, honey, remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar and the chopped chiles. Cook, stirring, until reduced to a spoon-coating glaze (1–1½ cups), 30–45 minutes. Strain, discard solids, let settle and pour off the oil into a small bowl; reserve.
- Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil the grate. Dip ribs in glaze one at a time and grill, turning, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes total. Season with salt; drizzle with remaining glaze and reserved oil.
- Toss cucumber, onion, serrano and lime juice; season with salt. Scatter over the ribs, top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Do ahead: ribs can be braised 1 day ahead; cool in liquid, cover and chill.
Note: tamarind concentrate ("cooking tamarind" / paste) is sold at Asian markets and online.