These addictive and deeply flavored ribs make a great starter as part of a larger Thai meal, or they can be served as a main course accompanied by jasmine rice and a sautéed or braised leafy or bitter green vegetable. On the other hand, they make a terrific snack to go along with a cold beer.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a main course; 8 as an appetizer

　　1 cup sliced shallots

　　10 scallions, coarsely chopped

　　One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced

　　8 large cloves garlic, peeled

　　1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro including thin stems (and roots, if possible)

　　6 tablespoons soy sauce

　　2 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　4 pounds pork spare ribs, cut by your butcher across the bone into 2- to 3-inch "racks," each rack cut between the bones into individual 2- to 3-inch-long riblets

　　Thai Chile-Herb Dipping Sauce

　　

Step 1

1. Put the shallots, scallions, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process to a loose, finely chopped paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

　　

Step 2

2. Place pork ribs in a large bowl or a pair of heavy resealable plastic bags. Thoroughly coat the ribs with the marinade, massaging the paste into the flesh for a minute or so. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or up to 5 hours in the refrigerator, tossing the ribs once or twice during this time.

　　

Step 3

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the ribs out, bone-side down, on two large, parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until ribs are deeply colored and very tender but not yet falling from the bone, about 11/2 hours, occasionally rotating the pans to encourage even cooking. Remove from the oven and serve with small bowls of Thai Chile-Herb Dipping Sauce .

　　From Lobel's Meat Bible: All You Need to Know About Meat and Poultry from America's Master Butchers by Stanley, Evan, Mark, and David Lobel, with Mary Goodbody and David Whiteman. Text copyright © 2009 by Morris Lobel & Sons, Inc.; photographs © 2009 by Lucy Schaeffer. Published by Chronicle Books LLC.