Lemongrass pork ribs (suon nuong xa)

Ingredients

• 400 ml fish sauce 
• 400 g caster sugar 
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1.5 kg American-style pork ribs (see Note), cut into individual ribs 
• mint and coriander leaves, sliced tomatoes, sliced, Lebanese cucumber, sliced red birdseye chilli, sliced spring onion, steamed rice, to serve

Marinating time 5 hours

Drink 2011 Yalumba Y Series Vermentino, South Australia ($11)

Instructions

Place fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, garlic and white pepper in a bowl. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Place ribs in a large bowl and pour over marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Drain ribs, reserving marinade. Place ribs on an oven tray and drizzle with a little of the reserved marinade. Bake, drizzling with more marinade halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until browned and sticky. Serve with mint, coriander, tomato, cucumber, chilli, spring onion and steamed rice.

Note

• American-style ribs are back ribs from the top of the rib cage. They still contain a bone, whereas spare ribs do not. You may need to order them from your butcher.

As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 9, pg76.

Photography by Derek Swalwell.