Name: Romy’s Ribs with Filipino Seasonings
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Philippines
Ingredients: Thinly sliced scallions (optional), for serving; 2 teaspoons mustard seeds; Toasted sesame seeds (optional; see box); Juice and grated zest of 1 lime; 1 dried hot red chile, or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons cumin seeds; 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (optional), trimmed and thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons coriander seeds; 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 2 cloves garlic, minced; Ginger-Plum Barbecue Sauce (optional); 1 tablespoon sweet paprika; Juice and grated zest of 1 orange; 2 teaspoons light brown sugar; ⅔ cup soy sauce; 2 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns; 2 racks baby back pork ribs (4 to 5 pounds); 2 teaspoons salt; Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Barbecue Bible

By Steven Raichlen

Published 1998

About

Romy Dorotan is a man with a mission: to introduce New Yorkers to the soulful flavors of his native Philippines. His Mercer Street restaurant, Cendrillon, has the industrial look of the Soho gallery scene (bare brick walls, exposed heating ducts), but his food hums with complex flavors. Romy’s ribs are a cross-cultural triumph, fragrant with citrus and Szechuan peppercorns. He cooks the ribs in what he calls a Chinese smoker (actually, it’s more like a steamer). I adapted them to cook on th