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Epicurious

Sweet-and-Sour Lamb Ribs

Austin chef Jesse Griffiths and his wife, Tamara Mayfield, brought succulent lamb ribs to my Fredericksburg garden party, and everyone devoured them. Jesse cleverly ensures these ribs are partyfriendly for guests and hosts alike—the recipe can mostly be done in advance. The ribs are initially simmered on the stove top and then need just a very short turn on a grill before serving. Jesse and Tamara are co-founders of Austin’s Dai Due Supper Club; their dinners are movable feasts staged at various local farms, vineyards, hotels, and private homes featuring local, sustainably produced ingredients prepared onsite by Jesse. If you can’t find lamb, pork spareribs or beef shortribs will work equally well. If you use beef ribs, they’ll need to simmer for 4 to 5 hours. You can simmer the ribs up to 24 hours in advance, and the glaze will keep for 3 weeks in the refrigerator

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

Ribs

1 package (2 racks, 8 ribs each) lamb short ribs
1 medium yellow onion
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

Glaze

1 cup guajillo honey or your favorite mild honey
1 cup cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    TO PREPARE THE SHORT RIBS: Put the ribs, onion, and bay leaves in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer, skim any froth that comes to the surface, and cook the ribs until tender, about 2 hours.

    Step 2

    Remove the ribs and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be done a day ahead. Cool the stock to room temperature. This stock can be frozen in ice cube trays, bagged, and used another time.

    Step 3

    TO MAKE THE GLAZE: In a bowl, whisk together the honey, cider vinegar, garlic, rosemary, anise seed, and chili powder.

    Step 4

    TO COOK THE RIBS: Start a hot fire in in a charcoal grill. Jesse prefers additive-free oak or mesquite lump charcoal, and advises against using charcoal starter, a known pollutant. If you are using a gas grill, set the heat at medium. When the coals are hot, lightly brush the grate with olive oil and grill the ribs for 2 minutes per side. Brush the glaze onto 1 side of the ribs and grill this side for about 30 seconds. Glaze the reverse side of the ribs and grill.

    Step 5

    To serve, season the ribs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved. A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan Rebecca Rather has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café’s sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café.  Rebecca is the author of THE PASTRY QUEEN, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances. Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper’s restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.
TagsRibsLambMeatStarterMainDinnerNut FreeGluten FreeDairy FreeEasyGrillingCookbooks
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