The Chef: Craig Koketsu
The Restaurant: Quality Meats Miami Beach
The Dish: Honey-Glazed Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients:
Baby Back Ribs:
1 or 2 racks pork baby back ribs
vegetable oil (2-3 inches deep in pan)
Cure:
100 g Salt
100 g Sugar
25 g Butcher’s Grind black pepper
Braise:
1 quart Sprite
1 bulb garlic (smashed) (approx. 75 g)
2 stalks lemon grass
150 g ginger (peeled and smashed)
6 quarts chicken stock
Glaze:
1 quart white wine vinegar
1 pint sugar
1 quart honey
1 bulb garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup ginger, julienned
¼ cup chili garlic sauce
Spicy Lime Sauce:
1 ½ cups lime juice
1 cup sweet chili sauce½ cup fish sauce (you can find these at Asian markets)
2 Tbs. butter
*Lotus Root Chips
1 lotus root, peeled
2 cups vegetable oil
kosher salt to taste
Slice lotus root with a mandolin into very thin pieces to make chips. Fry them in vegetable oil at 350 degrees for about two minutes. When they’re crisp take them out and drain on paper towels. Season with kosher salt while they’re hot. Set aside.
Method of Preparation:
– Start with the spice mix. Add kosher salt, sugar and butcher’s grind black pepper in a bowl and stir it up. Sprinkle the mix over a rack pork baby back ribs on both sides.
– Next- pound and chop lemon grass, and ginger- add that to the ribs with chicken stock and Sprite.
– Wrap in foil and put it in the oven at 325 degrees for about two and a half hours.
– For the herb dressing, add fresh lime juice, sweet chili sauce and fish sauce. Blend well and set aside.
– To make the glaze for the ribs, add smashed ginger, garlic, white wine vinegar, honey, sugar and Chili Sambal- which you can find at Asian markets and some grocery stores. Stir, simmer and reduce it down to a glaze. Strain the glaze and set aside.
– Take the ribs out of the oven to cool and cut into finger-sized pieces.
– Fry them up in vegetable oil at 350 degrees for about three minutes. When they’re done- put the glaze in a skillet and add the ribs. Add butter and stir the ribs to coat.
To Plate:
-Time to plate! First, the ribs- then some fresh mint and thai basil in the vinaigrette. Garnish with fried lotus root chips. Chef Craig serves the ribs with his signature Corn Crème Brûlée.
Serving suggestion: Jai Alai IPA Beer
Serves: 4
Quality Meats Miami Beach
1501 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.340.3333
http://www.qualitymeatsmiami.com/home.cfm
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