The World of Ribs : Bones of Contentment

There are all sorts of ribs in this world. Big, juicy ribs slow-cooked until the meat is ready to fall off the bone. Slender, crusty ribs that take serious gnawing. Even flat, cross-cut ribs that barely show their bones.

And contrary to what a lot of us think, there’s more to ribs than good old American barbecue. In Turkey, a slab of ribs gets rubbed with mint and garlic, skewered and then slowly cooked over a smoldering fire. In India, yogurt, chiles, garlic and ginger coat lamb ribs before they go on the grill. In Africa, pork back ribs are broiled then simmered in peanut sauce with onions, garlic, coriander seeds and chile oil.

What follows are a few recipes from all over.

Mitula Patel of West Los Angeles told me how to make this marinade for ribs and other meats while I was waiting in line at the cash register of the Bharat Bazaar in Culver City. She advises marinating the meat overnight and piercing it in several places so that the marinade can penetrate. The tandoori paste that she recommends is Patak’s brand from England.

MITULA’S INDIAN RIBS

1 (11-ounce) jar tandoori paste

1 (1-pound) carton plain yogurt

1 clove garlic, or more to taste

1 inch ginger root, peeled

3 to 4 serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded, if desired

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Red food color

3 pounds lamb ribs

Oil

Combine tandoori paste, yogurt, garlic, ginger root, chiles, cilantro and cumin in blender and blend until pureed. Add few drops red food color (enough to make bright red). Pierce rib meat with fork. Coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Drain ribs from marinade and place meaty side on grill rack about 4 inches from heat. Grill up to 10 minutes, brushing with oil as ribs cook. Turn ribs and cook 5 minutes more. Makes 8 servings.

Note : For spicier taste, Patak’s bottled curry paste can be added to marinade.

AFRICAN RIBS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

2 1/2 pounds pork back ribs

1/4 cup oil

1 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, finely crushed

Salt, pepper

Chile oil

1 (6 1/2-ounce) can roasted shelled peanuts

1 eggplant, cubed

Juice 1/2 lemon

2 teaspoons paprika

Steamed green beans and carrots

Broil ribs to brown. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add chicken broth and coriander seeds. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chile oil. Bring to boil. Add ribs, then simmer, covered, 1 hour, or until ribs are tender.

Place peanuts in blender with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Blend until finely ground. Add to ribs with eggplant, lemon juice and paprika. Simmer until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add green beans and carrots before serving, or serve vegetables alongside stew. Makes 8 servings.

Note: 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter may be substituted for roasted peanuts. Stir into sauce after eggplant is cooked.

In Korea, flanken-cut or cross-cut short ribs are often cooked on hot grills right at the table. Garlic, soy, ginger and green onions typically go in the marinade. At City Restaurant in Los Angeles, Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken serve marinated beef short ribs that have a lot in common with Korean kalbi. But instead of grilling the meat raw, the City chefs roast and baste the short ribs to break down the tough tendons in the meat. Then the ribs are marinated for several hours and finally, grilled.

In their book, “City Cuisine” (William Morrow & Co., Inc.: 1989), Milliken and Feniger say it’s important to get the right cut of short ribs for this dish: “Ask a butcher to cut from the short plate, flanken style. The ribs should be cut across the bones in half-inch slices, leaving not a single rib, but a small cross-section of about four ribs in each piece.” MARINATED BEEF SHORT RIBS

3 3/4 pounds beef short ribs, cut in 1/2-inch slices with bones

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon crushed hot pepper

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons plum sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon chile paste

1 tablespoon pureed garlic

1 tablespoon grated ginger root

1 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed and roughly chopped

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

Season ribs to taste with salt and pepper. Place on rack in roasting pan and bake at 350 degrees 1 hour.

Combine water, lemon juice and crushed hot pepper in small bowl. Brush over top side of ribs and bake additional 10 minutes. Turn, brush again and bake 10 minutes longer. Cool.

Combine hoisin sauce, plum sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, peanut oil, sesame oil, honey, chile paste, garlic, ginger, cilantro and green onions in large bowl. Add roasted ribs and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Grill or place under broiler 2 minutes per side and serve immediately with spicy cold soba noodles and chopped tofu with parsley, if desired. Makes 6 servings.