Pork Riblets
intro
Tender, fall-off-the-bone pork riblets coated in a glossy sticky-sweet soy-BBQ glaze, perfect for grabbing and eating off the bone at casual summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and Dry Riblets
Place the raw pork riblets on the honey maple cutting board. Use the 8-inch chef knife to trim any excess loose fat or thin silver skin from the riblet pieces. Tear sheets from the unbleached brown paper towel roll to pat every riblet completely dry on all sides. A fully dry, matte surface on the meat ensures rub will adhere properly and a crisp caramelized crust will form during cooking.
Mix Dry Rub Coating
In the small stainless steel mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir the mixture with the handle end of the basting brush until fully uniform, with no clumps of brown sugar remaining.
Coat Riblets in Rub
Transfer the dried riblets to the medium stainless steel mixing bowl. Sprinkle the entire dry rub mixture over the riblets, then toss with clean hands until every piece is evenly coated on all sides with a thin layer of rub. Let the coated riblets rest at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow salt to penetrate the meat and draw out surface moisture.
Whisk the Sticky Glaze
While the riblets rest, repurpose the empty small stainless steel mixing bowl to make the glaze. Whisk together 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 60ml low-sodium soy sauce, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil until completely smooth. Set the glaze aside until ready to baste.
Preheat Grill for Cooking
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to 175C (350F), configured for indirect heat: push charcoal to one side of the kettle, or light only the outer burners on a gas grill, to create a cool zone for slow cooking. Lightly oil the grill grates to prevent riblets from sticking during cooking.
Slow Cook Riblets Low
Arrange the coated riblets in a single layer on the indirect cool zone of the grill, close the lid, and cook for 45 minutes. Use the grill tongs to flip the riblets every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. The riblets will deepen to a rich golden brown as the rub caramelizes; verify doneness with the instant-read thermometer, which should read 71C (160F) when inserted into the thickest part of a riblet before moving to the next step.
Baste with Sticky Glaze
Once riblets reach 71C (160F) internal temperature, use tongs to move them to the direct hot side of the grill. Use the silicone basting brush to coat every side of the riblets generously with the sticky glaze, turning frequently with tongs for 10-12 minutes. Cook until the glaze is caramelized, glossy, and tacky to the touch, and internal temperature reaches 79C (175F). Watch closely to avoid burning the sugar in the glaze, which chars in as little as 30 seconds over high heat.
Rest and Garnish Ribs
Use grill tongs to transfer finished glazed riblets to the oval matte cream ceramic serving platter. Let riblets rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, then sprinkle evenly with thinly sliced scallions for a bright, fresh garnish. Serve hot, with extra glaze in the small cream ramekin for dipping.
Tips
2.Cook riblets over indirect heat first before glazing: the high sugar content in the rub and glaze burns quickly over direct high heat, leading to bitter, charred spots before the meat has time to turn tender. Only move ribs to direct heat for the final 10-12 minutes of cooking to set the glaze.
3.Let riblets rest for 5 minutes after coming off the grill: this short rest allows muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb juicy, flavorful liquid, so bites stay moist instead of having all the delicious juice run out onto the platter when you pick up a riblet.
OMG these sticky glazed pork riblets were an absolute game changer for our Sunday family dinner! My two boys devoured every single piece and kept asking for seconds before they even finished their first helping. The glaze is perfectly sweet and savory, not too sticky that it makes a huge mess but just enough that you want to lick your fingers. I did add a tiny extra splash of soy sauce because we love umami, and it turned out chef’s kiss. Cook time was spot on too, the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender at exactly 1 hour 10 minutes, no extra time needed. 10/10 will be making these for our next neighborhood potluck!
These were really tasty, but I ran into a little trouble with the glaze burning when I followed the oven temp exactly? I’m a pretty casual home cook so maybe I messed something up, but the last 10 minutes of cook time the glaze got super dark and smoky on the pan. Flavor was still amazing though, even with the slightly charred edges, my partner said it tasted like restaurant quality ribs. Wondering if I should lower my oven rack next time?
Made these for my game day watch party this past weekend and they were gone in 15 minutes flat! I prepped the glaze the night before to save time day of, which made the whole process so much easier. The only tweak I made was adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat, and people kept begging me for the recipe. SO good, will absolutely be adding this to my regular rotation for get-togethers. The medium difficulty rating is totally fair, you don’t need any fancy equipment to pull these off, just a little patience for the glaze to set right.