Buzz
A marinade is a mixture of herbs, oil, and vinegar used to enhance the flavor of vegetables or meat. Most of the ingredients in the marinade don't penetrate deep into the food but only soak into the surface. While there are many ways to make rib marinades, sweet and sour versions are often perfect for marinating spare ribs, St. Louis-style ribs, and rib slabs.
Ingredients
Western-style Rib Marinade
- 1 cup (200ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vinegar
- 3 tablespoons (35gr) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Asian-style rib marinade
- 1 cup (200ml) honey
- 1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) sherry wine
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Coffee and molasses marinade
- 1 cup (200ml) strong coffee
- 1 cup red onion
- 1/2 cup (120ml) molasses
- 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons shallots
Instructions
Marinate the ribs Western-style.
Defrost the ribs by placing them in the fridge for 2 to 4 days before cooking. The time required for defrosting depends on the size of the rib piece.
Place the top side of the rib down on the cutting board. Trim and remove the fat layer from the underside of the rib to make the meat tender and allow the marinade to penetrate better.
Prepare the marinade a day before cooking. For a large piece of meat like ribs, marinate for at least half a day to one full day. Salt needs 24 hours to soak into 2.5 cm of meat.
- The other ingredients are primarily used to enhance the surface flavor of the meat.
- If you have more than 2.2 kg of ribs, double the ingredient quantities.
- Keep any leftover marinade to baste the meat while cooking.
Mix vegetable oil, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onions, and salt in a large tray. If you don't have a large enough container to hold the entire rib piece, you can pour the marinade into a large plastic bag or split the ribs into two containers.
Place the ribs in the marinade. Flip the ribs a few times, then store the marinated ribs in the fridge.
Use a brush to apply the marinade to the meat every 3 hours. Dip the remaining marinade at the bottom of the bag or container to baste the meat. Flip the ribs if the meat is not fully submerged in the marinade.
Remove the ribs from the fridge an hour before grilling with an oven or charcoal grill. You can discard any leftover marinade at this point.
Wrap the ribs in foil and bake at 150°C for about 2 hours. Then, unwrap the foil and continue baking the ribs at 175°C for 45 minutes.
Marinate the ribs Asian-style.
Defrost the ribs. Remove the fat layer from the underside of the rib to allow the marinade to penetrate deeply into the meat.
Mix honey, soy sauce, sherry, garlic powder, and ground red pepper 3 to 12 hours before cooking the ribs. Simmer the ingredients over medium heat until the mixture blends evenly.
Remove the marinade from the stove. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
Place the ribs in one or two containers, depending on the size of the rib piece. This marinade recipe is for 1.8 kg of ribs.
Pour the cooled marinade over the ribs. Flip the ribs to ensure they are evenly coated. If the marinade does not fully cover the ribs, you will need to flip them in the fridge every few hours.
Take the ribs out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Discard any excess marinade. Remove the ribs from the container and let them drain.
- It is important to wait for the marinade to dry a bit, especially if you are not using aluminum foil to wrap the ribs when grilling, as the excess marinade can catch fire.
Grill the ribs using an oven or charcoal stove. Sprinkle a bit of sesame seeds and chopped green onions before enjoying the ribs.
Marinate the ribs with coffee and molasses.
Thaw the ribs. Remove the layer of fat underneath the rib slab to expose the meat.
Chop onions and shallots to add to the marinade. Brew some coffee.
Stir coffee, onions, molasses, red wine vinegar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, and shallots. This recipe is for marinating approximately 2.2kg of ribs. Save one cup of marinade for each portion of ribs.
Place the ribs in a large container about 12 hours before cooking. Pour the marinade evenly over the ribs. Cover the ribs and refrigerate.
- Baste the ribs with marinade and turn them every few hours.
Remove the ribs from the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Let the marinade dry on the ribs.
Grill the ribs using either an oven or a charcoal grill. Brush the marinade you reserved earlier onto the meat every 20 minutes.
Tip
- You can substitute honey in the Asian-style marinade with hoisin sauce.
- Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil for most of the cooking process. Only grill the ribs without foil for the last 10-20 minutes to achieve a crispy exterior.
- You can also coat the ribs with dry seasoning instead of using a marinade.
- Add pineapple juice to your marinades to tenderize the meat. This ingredient contains an enzyme that helps soften the meat.
What you'll need
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Cover
- Plastic bag or large container
- Basting brush
- Refrigerator
- Small pot
- Knife
- Oven/grill
