If you’re used to cooking slabs of ribs that need a few hours of slow-cooking to render them tender and delicious, try these baby back ribs instead. Cut between the bones into individual strips, baby back ribs pick up lots of flavor and cook (relatively) quickly on the stovetop. Blended to a paste, shallots and lemongrass provide body and flavor, clinging to the meat as they reduce into an aromatic sauce. As a reminder, baby back ribs are not from, um, baby pigs. (It just has to be said!) They’re called as such simply because they come from the top section of the ribs, closer to the backbone, and are smaller in size compared with spareribs or St. Louis–style ribs.
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What you’ll need
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
4
6
4
1
½
¼
¼
1
2
2
2–3
Preparation
Step 1
Purée 4 large shallots, coarsely chopped, 6 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, 4 lemongrass stalks, woody tops trimmed, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced, one 1" piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar, ¼ cup fish sauce, 1 red or green Thai chile or 2 large serrano chiles, thinly sliced, 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and 1 cup water in a blender until mostly smooth.
Step 2
Pat 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4 lb. total) dry, then remove silverskin from bones (lift and loosen with a knife and it should pull away in a single sheet; removing allows spices to penetrate the meat better and avoids a tough texture) and discard. Cut between bones to make individual riblets. Season lightly with kosher salt and pepper.
Step 3
Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Cook one third to half of ribs (to avoid crowding pan), meaty side down, until browned, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining ribs, cooking in 1 or 2 more batches and adding 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil to pan for each.
Step 4
Return all of the ribs to pot; add shallot mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-low. Cover; continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a bare simmer, until meat is tender, 40–45 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking over medium, stirring often, until sauce is thickened and lightly coats ribs, about 15 minutes more.
Step 5
Transfer ribs to a platter. Arrange lime wedges, cilantro leaves with tender stems, and more chile around.
How would you rate No-Grill Lemongrass and Soy Ribs?
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Reviews (18)
Back to TopThe fish sauce was overwhelming - and I LOVE fish sauce! I had to add more soy sauce and sugar to counter the fish salinity. Once it was cooked, ,I broiled it and it tasted pretty good.
Janis
7/17/2023
@BMOREBRIAN - did you add the 1 cup of water to the puree/blender? It is not included in the recipe (it is in the method) and it is needed to cook/steam the ribs. And, make sure to use baby back ribs. We love this recipe and have added it to our collection of no grill ribs. Although you could also probably finish these on the grill!
MMorgan
Vancouver, BC
9/4/2022
Can anyone help me with where I went wrong? Followed the recipe to the letter and after 45 minutes the ribs were super tough. After another hour they were edible but by no means tender. I cook a lot so I don't know if I had a bad rack of ribs or maybe the wrong kind? But this did not work out for me. Too bad btw because the flavor was super good.
BmoreBrian
Baltimore
8/25/2022
I used two extra stalks of lemongrass. Marinated the ribs in the sauce overnight then scraped most of the sauce off the ribs, browned the ribs, added the sauce back in the pot and simmered 45 minutes. Also added cornstarch to make a gravy. It was delicious!
Janet N
Houston
8/16/2022
Excellent recipe!! And I did try it as written with only one exception; I omitted the chiles as some members of my family avoid heat. But I did change up the process; instead of doing on stovetop, I did partly on stovetop and then removed, dried - and grilled them. What can I say? It's summer, sunny day... And I then reduced the sauce and added honey, using it as a glaze and side sauce - and I split into two batches, to one I added a Thai dragon chile. I needed that heat!! Rave reviews from family - from both the chile averse and the chile lovers! I
Bill C from Victoria, B.C.
Victoria, B.C., Canada
7/25/2022
Easy to prep and do for a dinner party because you can’t overcook them. Just kept them warm on the stove until everyone was ready to eat. I let them sit in the marinade for a couple hours before cooking and they were delicious. Served with the sauce on the side and grilled broccoli.
Rachael
Redmond, Oregon
7/23/2022
These ribs were so tender, flavorful, and fragrant. I couldn't stop eating them!
Maria
New York, NY
7/22/2022