Succulent pork ribs are elevated to umami perfection with a sticky, savory glaze of roasted nước mắm, delivering an explosion of sweet, salty, and smoky flavors in every bite.
Pork Ribs Glazed with Roasted Nước Mắm Sauce
Author: Chef Nini Nguyen
Makes 2 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 rack St. Louis–style ribs, or your favorite pork ribs
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (dark or light)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup Roasted Nước Mắm Sauce (recipe follows)
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Clean the ribs to remove any silver skin and membrane on the bone side.
- In a bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and pepper, and rub all over the ribs. Wrap the ribs tightly with foil and bake at 300°F for 3 hours. Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool in the foil. This step is best if cooled overnight.
- Unwrap the ribs from the foil, portion them out, and glaze with Roasted Nước Mắm Sauce. Place under the broiler just until caramelization occurs (about 3 to 5 minutes). Glaze one more time and broil for a minute more. Alternatively, you can do this process on the grill.
- Garnish with cilantro, sesame seeds, and fresh lime juice. Definitely don’t forget the lime juice.
Roasted Nước Mắm Sauce
Maks 1 Cup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup Louisiana cane syrup
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ cup fish sauce
- 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Instructions
- In a heatproof bowl, add the red pepper flakes.
- In a saucepot set over medium-high heat, add the oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and fry until light golden, about 1 minute.
- Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a plate. Carefully pour the oil into the bowl with the red pepper flakes.
- In the pot you used for the oil, add the cane syrup, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the red pepper flakes and the oil back into the pot and cook for a few minutes or until the glaze coats the back of a metal spoon.
- Add the fried garlic and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
- Let cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. This will keep for a few months. If it gets too firm, just stir in a bit of hot water before using.
- Brush over broiled, roasted, or fried meats, vegetables, or tofu.
