Romy’s Ribs with Filipino Seasonings

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