STICKY LEMONGRASS LAMB RIBS
INGREDIENTS
1.2kg lamb ribs cut into individual ribs
the rub
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
the sauce
3 lemongrass stalks, white part only, chopped
2 tbsp finely grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
scant ½ cup loosely packed brown sugar
to serve
chopped spring onion
coriander leaves to scatter
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Add the ribs to a large mixing bowl. Top with the rub ingredients and using your hands, toss gently to coat. Add the ribs to a roasting dish and cover tightly with foil. Cook for 1 hour.
While the ribs are cooking, add the lemongrass stalks to a food processor and blitz – it’s the best way to ensure you don’t have stringy lemongrass and more of a delightful fragrant pulp. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz to combine. Place the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let the sauce cool to thicken.
Remove ribs from oven and pour over some of the sauce, reserving some to serve. Wrap tightly again and return to the oven for another 2 hours or until the meat is soft and luxurious, a good way to check is to give a bone a gentle jiggle, you shouldn’t meet much resistance and it should slide easily.
Reheat remaining sauce until warm. Remove ribs from the oven and add to remaining sauce, gently turning to coat. Don’t forget to scrape up any of the lemongrass bits that may have sunk under the ribs – so much great flavour here – and add that to the ribs and sauce.
Place ribs on a serving platter and scatter over herbs if using. Get your hands in there and devour them.