Plum-Good Baby Back Ribs
Licorice-flavored star anise—one of the spices in Chinese five-spice powder—gives these ribs their distinctive appeal. The ribs can be cooked in the seasoned liquid up to two days ahead, then cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator while the grill heats, then proceed with the recipe.
PREP: 1 hour GRILL: 15 to 20 minutes
MAKES: 8 main-dish servings
4 racks pork baby back ribs (about 1 pound each)
12 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
10 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long)
¼ cup soy sauce
1 jar (12 ounces) plum jam (1 cup)
1 tablespoon grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
1. In 8-quart saucepot, place ribs, peppercorns, bay leaves, 4 star anise, and 1 cinnamon stick. Add enough water to cover; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until ribs are fork-tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer ribs to platter. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, heat soy sauce and remaining 6 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Strain mixture into bowl; discard star anise and cinnamon. Stir in plum jam, ginger, and garlic.
3. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat.
4. Place ribs on hot grill rack; grill until browned, about 10 minutes, turning over once. Brush ribs with some glaze and grill, brushing with remaining glaze and turning frequently, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
EACH SERVING: About 520 calories, 28g protein, 29g carbohydrate, 32g total fat (12g saturated), 129mg cholesterol, 645mg sodium
RIB RULES
Ribs are the quintessential grill food—part splurge, part fun, all finger-licking flavor. The different kinds are interchangeable (what rib doesn’t taste good brushed with BBQ sauce and grilled?), but here’s a guide to the basics:
Spareribs, cut from the underbelly, are most widely available. They’re the least meaty and most fatty of all pork ribs, containing long rib bones with a thin covering of meat on the outside and between the ribs.
Back ribs, also known as loin back ribs and baby back ribs (when small) are short, easy to hold, and meatier than spareribs because they contain loin meat. We love baby back ribs on the grill.
Country-style ribs are cut from the shoulder end of the loin and have the highest meat-to-bone ratio, with the least fat. They’re sometimes mistaken for pork chops—because you usually need a knife and fork to eat them.