Caramel Pork Ribs

I love David Lebovitz.  His desserts, and especially his ice creams, are some of my favourites.  But this - THIS!  Melt-off-the-bone tender ribs in a non-tomatoey rich carmelised sauce.  Perfection!  I'd never tried to make ribs before, and these turned out gorgeously.

Caramel Pork Ribs

From David Lebovitz’s “My Paris Kitchen.”

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, light or dark

3/4 cup beer

1/4 cup bourbon

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 (1/2-inch/2cm) piece ginger, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons harissa, Sriracha sauce, or another hot sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 pounds pork ribs, cut into 3- or 4-rib portions

Preheat the oven to 350F. 
 

Spread the granulated sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a large pot with a cover, such as a roasting pan or a Dutch oven. Cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt around the edges. When the liquefied sugar just starts to darken to a pale copper color, gently stir the sugar inward and continue to cook, stirring until the sugar is completely moistened. Continue to cook the sugar, stirring infrequently, until all of it is a deep copper-colored liquid, similar in color to dark maple syrup, and smoking (but not burnt). Turn off the heat and stir in the brown sugar, then add the beer. The mixture will seize and harden, which is normal. 

 

Let the mixture cool down a bit, then stir in the bourbon, cider vinegar, ketchup, ginger, soy sauce, harissa, mustard, and pepper. Put the ribs in the pot and turn on the heat until the sauce boils and bubbles up. Turn the ribs a few times in the liquid, cover, and roast in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the ribs are tender. During the roasting, remove the pot from the oven and turn the ribs over two or three times. 

 

Remove the lid from the pot and continue to roast, turning the ribs a few times, for 30 minutes more, or until the juices have thickened a bit. Remove the ribs from the oven, skim any visible fat from the surface of the liquid, and serve.