Pork cross

Pork cross with lemongrass

Summer Saturday in Yerres. With the good weather and the family garden, the barbecue is a must, and it's a good thing, I landed with a kilo of marinated pork ribs. The attraction of ribs to children should not be underestimated. Being small, I thought it was magical to have a bone in each piece, and today, my little one, from the top of his three years, sees it as "lollipops with meat". The Chinese even make them Dim Sum and call it "Travers de porc aux haricots noirs fermentés". I will transcribe the recipe in my blog one of these days.
For now, here's my recipe for marinated ribs, a perfect dish for an outdoor meal whether it's a picnic or a barbecue party.

Ingredients (for 16 pieces - 1.5 kg)

• A row of ribs of pork ribs (roughly 16 pieces) cut into 2 to 3 cm wide pieces
• 1/3 ccf of five fragrances
• 3 stalks of lemongrass
• 1 case of honey
• 3 cases of sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cases of soy sauce
• 4 cases of Nuoc Mam sauce
• 1/3 ccf dried chilli pepper (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• Peanut oil

For Nuoc Mam sauce

• 4 sugars in pieces
• a large clove of garlic
• Nuoc Mam sauce
• 1 chili pepper

For service

• Cucumber, peeled and minced
• This dish can be eaten with rice, or even better, with Gluant rice (see on dara's blog for cooking Gluant rice)

Preparation
Meat marinade

1. Thinly slice the lemongrass stalks and place in a mortar.
2. Add coarsely chopped garlic and onions, coarsely chopped.
3. Filing with mortar
4. Dissolve sugar in very little water and add honey. Mix until dissolved
5. Place the ribs in a bowl, season with salt and pepper.
6. Add mortar content
7. Add the sweetened water and mix with the meat.
8. Add the 5 flavours, dried chilli pepper, Nuoc Mam and soy sauce.
9. The meat must then be thoroughly kneaded to soak it in the marinade.
10. Adjust the seasoning according to your tastes
11. Cover and marinate for at least two hours in the refrigerator.

Cooking of ribs
This is where the success of your shortcomings will depend on: Two possibilities: the oven (in grill mode) or the barbecue. In any case, the cooking temperature is lower than for beef, and the pork, in order not to be dry, must cook at an appropriate temperature, and above all it must rest well at the exit of the oven.
Cooking is perfect when the meat is easily removed from the bone.

Baking in the oven
Baking in the oven is certainly the safest method because it ensures constant and controlled heat.

1. Preheat oven to thermostat 6 (150-180°C) in grill mode. When the oven is hot, bake the ribs close to the heat source.
2. After a few minutes, when the pieces are well browned, turn and drizzle with cooking oil.
3. When the second side is golden, lower the grill and finish cooking.
4. In total, the cooking time should be 40-60 min for this quantity (also depending on the oven).
5. Then take the crosspieces out of the oven and cover them with aluminium. Let stand 15 minutes at the exit of the oven. This allows the fibres to relax, and the cooking to finish at a milder temperature.

Barbecue cooking
Nothing beats the taste of wood firing, especially on pieces of this type. For barbecue cooking, the ribs must be much less oiled, otherwise the oil will drip on the embers and the flames will burn the meat.
You will have to make sure you have a lot of coal, because the cooking is slow.
On the other hand, you will have to keep an eye on the meat, and I will say even more, you have to watch the meat from underneath. At the slightest hint of blackening, it should be turned over and placed on the side of the barbecue.
The barbecue with lid is perfect for this because once closed, the absence of air prevents flames from forming. So we have the advantage of an oven and a barbecue.

1. Prepare the barbecue with a large supply of charcoal. Set aside a portion of the barbecue with lots of coals for cooking, and at the end of cooking set aside a portion for resting the meat, with very little coals underneath.
2. Waiting to have no more flame, but that a beautiful bed of embers
3. Place the pork ribs on the grill (that will have been oiled before to hang the meat)
4. Turn them frequently and move them according to their cooking. The heat under a barbecue is never homogeneous.
5. Cooking is controlled by sight, but should not exceed 20 minutes.
6. The meat is left to rest on the side of the barbecue.

Preparation of sauce

1. In a quarter glass of water, melt 4 pieces of sugar. Put it in the microwave for two minutes or bring it to a boil in a saucepan and turn off the heat at boiling.
2. Press in the syrup two cloves of garlic
3. Add the juice of a quarter lime
4. If you wish, add a chopped and crushed chilli pepper to the mortar.
5. Add nuoc mam to taste. A priori a dozen cases of Nuoc Mam will do.
6. Serve.