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Vietnamese Baby Back Ribs
Guest Chef Eric Banh, Chef-Owner of Monsoon, Seattle, WA
Serves 4 to 6
A traditional Vietnamese dish, these slow-cooked ribs—reminiscent of treasures found on classic dim sum carts—are richly infused with the natural sweetness of coconut and the tangy saltiness of Asian fish sauce. For a truly authentic experience, add hardboiled eggs to the braise during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Serve ribs as an appetizer on a bed of leafy greens for added color.
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 pounds baby back pork ribs
- 5 cloves garlic
- juice of 2 young fresh coconuts or 20 ounces canned coconut juice (not milk or cream)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup Vietnamese fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar
- 6 hardboiled eggs, peeled (optional)
To cure the ribs, place ribs on a sheet pan and coat both sides with salt and peppercorns. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours.
To braise the ribs, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove ribs from refrigerator and cut into 2-rib sections. Slice garlic cloves in half and remove any green parts and discard (the green insides may be bitter). Mince remaining garlic.
In a deep baking pan or braising pot, stir together coconut juice, chicken stock, minced garlic, fish sauce and sugar. Add ribs. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the ribs and braising liquid. Cover pan with a lid or wrap tightly with foil. Braise for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
Optional: Add hardboiled eggs to the braise for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
After 1 1/2 hours, check ribs for doneness; they should be very tender and fall off the bone. Serve on a bed of leafy greens with braised hardboiled eggs.
Chef’s Tip: Remove meat from bone and wrap in lettuce leaves.
Nutrition Info
Per serving (About 15oz/427g-wt.): 580 calories (390 from fat), 43g total fat, 16g saturated fat, 33g protein, 12g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 270mg cholesterol, 870mg sodium