“Sorry, Texas,” said Hunter Lewis in Bon Appétit. For ribs cooked on a grill, pork is always a better choice than beef. Beef ribs are “just too huge,” and a pig offers plenty of cuts that deliver more-succulent results.
The most familiar of those cuts are spareribs, from the pig’s belly, and baby back ribs, taken from the back (not from young pigs). But there are also so-called country-style ribs, “an unheralded cut” that usually includes some tenderloin or shoulder meat and often doesn’t contain any rib at all. The recipe below is adapted from a dish by Chicago chef Paul Kahan, who favors the cut for grilling.
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Country-style ribs with quick-pickled watermelon
For rib marinade:
- ½ cup each light brown sugar and soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp peeled ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp each chopped cilantro leaves, hot chili paste, and toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ medium onion, sliced
- 3 lbs inch-thick country-style pork ribs or bone-in pork chops
- 2 tbsp Chinese hot mustard powder
Bring brown sugar and ½ cup water to boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat and simmer until reduced to ¼ cup; transfer to medium bowl. Whisk in soy sauce and next 8 ingredients, then stir in onion. Let cool. Pour marinade into large resealable plastic bag.
Rub ribs with mustard powder and add to bag; seal bag and turn ribs to coat. Chill, turning bag occasionally, for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
For pickled watermelon and garnish:
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ¹⁄3 cup champagne vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ cup olive oil
- 5 cups chopped seedless watermelon
- 4 cups Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
In a saucepan over low heat, toast coriander seeds 2 to 3 minutes. Crush seeds slightly. Combine coriander, vinegar, lime juice, shallot, and honey in a bowl. Whisk in oil; season with salt and pepper.
Place melon in a bowl; add ½ cup of vinaigrette and toss to coat. Cover and chill for up to 1 hour to lightly pickle watermelon.
Toss tomatoes, ¼ cup cilantro, and 1 tbsp vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To grill and serve ribs:
Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill. Remove ribs from bag. Pour excess marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Grill ribs until cooked to medium, about 5 minutes per side. Dunk each rib into reserved marinade. Return ribs to grill and cook, turning once, until cooked to medium-well, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to a platter and top with pickled watermelon and the tomato mixture. Serves 6 to 8.
