Balinese sticky glazed pork ribs (Iga babi bali)

On my first trip to Bali, about 2 decades ago, I was drawn to these pork ribs, the vendors strategically sitting at corners, the aromas wafting, nay beckoning you at every turn. There was no escaping the glory of these ribs, and I indulged in them a lot.

This recipe is reminiscent of those delicious ribs, and having them flashed my memory back to the wonderful markets and street food.

Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country outside of the Middle East, and yet in Bali, pork is served and revered. This is quite a contradiction in many aspects. About 3000 years ago, Austronesians migrated to Blai and brought pigs with them. These pigs were maintained in the house or compound and fed kitchen scraps, known as "celeng" or "piggy bank". During the festival of Gulangan and other festivals, pigs were sacrificed as offerings to the Goddess Durga, in accordance with the sacred elements of the Yadha of the Shiva-Siddhanta sects.

But the prevalence of this dish on the streets began in Ubud, when an American, Brian Aldinger and his Javanese wife, Isnuri, opened Naughty Nuri's, selling charcoal-grilled ribs to tourists. There was no looking back, and this style of pork ribs flooded the markets across Bali.

The beauty of these ribs lies in their sweet-and-spicy combination. I love kecap manis; it is a permanent condiment in my pantry. The sweet, thickened soy sauce is added to practically everything to give my plate or dish a pop. Here ther bring the fatty meat alive, and with the abundance of chillies, pair to give a wonderful sweet-spicy profile. The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, the marinade sticky, making you lick your fingers (how else do you eat ribs?) and always digging in for another piece. Here is an oven recipe, but these can also be cooked over a charcoal grill or BBQ.

Lara Lee presents recipes that have been passed down through generations orally, as well as newer recipes, in a very easy-to-read format. This book is excellent for those who want to learn about this cuisine and culture.

For more delicious recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

6-8 fresh red chillies, or to taste, stemmed

12-15 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon ginger paste

4-5 shallots, peeled

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup kecap manis

2 tablespoons palm sugar (optional)

Salt, to taste

15 pork ribs, cut into two slabs

NOTE: I always find this marinade less so I make twice the volume, just to keep myself happy.

Method:

Heat the oven to 150°C with the rack in the centre.

Add all the ingredients to a small blender and puree until smooth. Taste for salt and spice; it should be sweet with a growing heat on the aftertaste. Let the dressing be bold; it will tone down when eaten with the meat.

Lay 4 large rectangles of foil at right angles to each other. Rub the ribs well with the marinade. Place the ribs, meat side down, on the foil and wrap tightly. Repeat with the second rib rack.

Place in the oven for 2 hours to roast. Remove and check the meat. Unwrap the package carefully, use a fork to see if the meat parts from the bone easily, the meat should also have shrunk, exposing the rib bones well. Rewrap tightly until needed.

While the meat is cooking, add the remaining sauce, which you should have quite a bit of, to a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes, until thickened and syrupy. Pour into a small bowl and allow to cool.

To serve, heat the ribs in the oven for about 5 minutes at 150°C. I like to unwrap the meat at the table on a board, allowing the guest to dig in and spoon extra marinade over the meat.