Pepper’s Garlic and Soy Fried Ribs
Serves 4-6
These ribs are Miles and Toon's faaaavorite, and it's (nearly) impossible to f*ck up (yes, Mom almost burned down the house making these before, but I swear they're super easy). This recipe is similar to the Thai-Soy Garlic Fried Ribs from my second book, but we gave it a little twist! As with any recipe, you can always adjust to your taste - substitute cilantro for coriander or add more pepper or more garlic, whatever you want... this is a great snack for all of the sports games. GO SPORTS! GO KICKERS!
Ingredients:
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20 cloves garlic
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1 cilantro root (you can find this in Asian supermarkets or some farmers markets), or 1 teaspoon ground coriander
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1/3 cup light soy sauce
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1 rack baby rack ribs, cut into individual ribs (halved lengthwise if your butcher can do that!)
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Freshly ground black pepper to taste
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6-8 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Directions:
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Combine the garlic and cilantro root (or ground coriander) in a mortar and pestle and pound until roughly minced (you don’t want the garlic too small so don’t use a garlic press here; you can also do this on a cutting board with a knife).
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Place the garlic and cilantro/coriander in a large bowl and add the soy sauce and as much pepper as you like (Pepper likes a lot of pepper).
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Add the ribs and, using your hands or a silicone spatula, toss the ribs in the marinade and marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours (if you’re marinating for more than 2 hours, pop them in the fridge)
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Heat the oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven to 375°F or until a piece of white bread sizzles and starts to turn golden right when you toss it in.
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Working in batches, fry the ribs just-cooked and well browned, about 3 minutes, bringing the oil back to 375°F between batches.
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Use a Chinese spider or slotted spoon to remove the ribs from the oil, drain briefly and place in a bowl.
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Scoop up any remaining garlic from the marinade bowl and fry until golden and tender, 1 minute. Scoop it out of the oil and top the cooked ribs with the garlic.
