Black Garlic Salt & Pepper Ribs with Spicy Scallion Salad

How About Some Really Good Ribs for Dinner This Week?

I keep slabs of St. Louis style spare ribs in my freezer most of the time. Why? Well, they’re always delicious, versatile, and easy to make. You can go in so many directions with them, flavor-wise. This time I kept it really simple – black garlic salt ,* coarsely ground white peppercorns ,* and light brown sugar are the only seasonings. This combination needs nothing else. It’s so good all on its own. The black garlic salt * is richly umami flavored, while the almost mushroomy flavor of white peppercorns * is earthy. Then the light brown sugar balances out the other two flavors perfectly.

I cooked the ribs as I normally do, on a large sheet pan with water in the bottom, slow temperature for a couple of hours or so, and you’re done. I don’t put the ribs on a rack to cook. Instead I make several logs out of crumpled up aluminum foil and place them on a foil lined sheet pan. Then I lay the ribs on top of the logs. This way, there is no clean up involved. Just toss the foil when you’re all done. 

I think that ribs need an accompaniment that will cut through the richness of the meat. In a previous post I provided a recipe for a great celery salad that I’ve served many times with ribs, but this time I had a taste for a scallion salad.

I’ve had it in Korean restaurants, where it’s known as Pa Muchim, and is a typical accompaniment to grilled meats. It’s commonly made with gochugaru, sesame oil, and sesame seeds and it is wonderful. But  I wanted a slightly different flavor profile, so I made up a quick dressing. 

I had a Filipino ingredient, bagoong , on hand that I use for Filipino recipes. It’s an intensely flavored sautéed shrimp paste which is easily found at most southeast Asian food markets. So, I stirred a little of it together with sesame oil, rice vinegar, a little fish sauce, black sesame seeds, and crushed red chili flakes. The bagoong is complex, but you can easily substitute the same amount of fish sauce for it and still have a wonderful side dish.

As to the scallions, you can slice them into thin slivers with a knife, but I have a nifty little inexpensive tool that’s made precisely for this chore, called a negi slicer ,* and it works beautifully. After slicing the scallions, place them in a bowl of ice water to soak for about a half hour. They will curl up and become nicely crisp. Dry them carefully and mix with the dressing right before serving. 

I served this meal with Calrose Botan rice ,* which is the type of rice commonly served with Korean and Japanese meals. I like both Kokohu Rose * and Calrose Botan .* It’s the rice I love the most and eat it at least once a week, but more often than not, it’s more than that. For my taste, this constitutes an ideal meal. Wonderful for my family and definitely special enough for guests. Beautifully marbled pork that’s richly seasoned, a sharp and refreshing side dish, and a bowl of white rice. See why I keep those ribs in my freezer? What more could you want?