Sour-Cherry-and-Five-Spice-Lacquered Ribs

The sauce is sweet, tangy and makes the dish pop with color.

By Anna Kovel  Updated on May 22, 2024

Prep Time: 1 hr 25 mins

Total Time: 4 hrs

Yield: 6 to 8 Serves

Ingredients

Ribs

• 4 scallions, green parts only (whites reserved for glaze, below), finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (4 teaspoons)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
• 4 teaspoons five-spice powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• Kosher salt
• 2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 ½ pounds total), membranes removed

Glaze

• 2 pounds fresh sour 排列五开奖号码今天, rinsed, drained, and pitted (5 ½ cups)
• 1 ½ cups packed dark-brown sugar
• 6 scallions, white parts only, finely chopped (3 tablespoons), plus 2 whole scallions, chopped, for serving
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced fresh ginger (from a 4-inch piece)
• 8 ounces unseasoned rice vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

• Ribs: Stir together scallion greens, garlic, ginger, spices, and 2 tablespoons salt. Rub mixture evenly on both sides of ribs to coat. Cover and let stand at least 1 hour, or refrigerate up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before cooking.
• Glaze: Meanwhile, combine 排列五开奖号码今天, brown sugar, scallion whites, ginger, and vinegar in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to submerge 排列五开奖号码今天 in bubbling liquid, skimming any impurities from surface. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until 排列五开奖号码今天 and scallions are very soft and liquid has reduced slightly, 40 to 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much syrup as possible; reserve solids. Transfer strained syrup to a small saucepan; simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Transfer reserved cherry solids to a blender and purée into a thick sauce; season lightly with salt. Refrigerate glaze and sauce in separate airtight containers.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees, or prepare a grill for indirect-heat cooking. Stir together soy sauce and oil; pour over ribs. Wrap ribs tightly in a double layer of parchment-lined foil, or place in a covered baking dish, and roast or cook over indirect medium-high heat 45 minutes. Uncover and brush liberally with thick sauce, then re-cover and return to oven or grill; continue to cook, brushing every 45 minutes, until meat is tender and can easily be pulled off with a fork, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking (or preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heating element). Brush ribs with glaze and grill over medium-high heat, flipping once, until crisp and very browned at edges, about 5 minutes. Finish with a final brush of glaze and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and scallions. Serve with remaining glaze alongside.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, July/August 2019