Barbecues and ribs are a match made in heaven: searing a crisp, smoky exterior that yields to juicy, succulent tenderness within. Señor Ceviche’s soy and mirin glaze adds a wonderful fragrance and deep umami richness…

Ingredients

For the ribs:

  • 1 rack of baby back pork ribs
  • 150g fine sea salt
  • 10 black pepper corns, cracked
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2l water
  • 500g soy sauce
  • 1 onion
  • 50g ginger

For the Yakiniku sauce:

  • 1 white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 15g ginger
  • 1 Granny Smith apple
  • 125ml mirin
  • 180ml soy sauce
  • 5g chicken stock powder
  • 75g brown sugar
  • 25g toasted white sesame seeds
  • 3g sesame oil
  • 25g rice vinegar
  • 50g lemon juice
  • Oil for frying

For the garnish:

  • 1 spring onion, sliced
  • Chives, chopped
  • Roasted peanuts, chopped
  • Cancha, fried and chopped
Method

1. Mix the sugar, salt, peppercorns and garlic in a bowl and rub generously on the ribs; let it brine for 1.5 hours and wash off.

2. In a large pot, bring the water, soy sauce, onion, ginger, thyme and bay leaf to the boil, bring down to a low simmer and add the ribs. Cook for 2.5 hours. Remove from the heat and cool down.

3. Purée the onion, apples, garlic and ginger in a blender. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and fry the purée until the smell changes from raw to cooked.

4. Add the soy sauce, mirin, chicken stock powder and brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Boil for two minutes, then add the corn flower/water mix and whisk until it has thickened.

5. Remove from the heat, add the sesame seeds, sesame oil, rice vinegar and lemon juice, mix and set aside until ready to use.

6. Season the ribs with salt and pepper, and grill over a barbecue until you have a nice colour on both sides. Spoon a generous amount of Yakiniku sauce over the ribs and heat through.

7. To finish, place on a plate, sprinkle with the sliced spring onion, chopped chives, peanuts and cancha.