Spicy Pork Ribs

(Filipino-Style Adobo Ribs)

These spicy pork ribs are braised low and slow in a rich, savory-sweet sauce with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and fiery chili peppers. The meat falls off the bone, coated in a thick, glossy glaze that’s salty, tangy, and packed with heat. Perfect over steamed white rice.

Details

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white cane vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 head garlic (about 8-10 cloves), crushed and minced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5-8 pieces dried red chili peppers (siling labuyo or Thai chili)
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 3 pieces bay leaves (laurel)
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Sear the ribs. Heat cooking oil in a large, heavy pan or wok over high heat. Sear the pork rib pieces in batches until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside.
2. Sauté aromatics. In the same pan, lower heat to medium. Sauté the onion until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and dried chili peppers and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Build the sauce. Return the seared ribs to the pan. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, and water. Add the brown sugar, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. Stir everything together.
4. Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is very tender and starting to pull away from the bone.
5. Reduce the sauce. Once the meat is tender, remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the sauce reduce and thicken for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently so the ribs get coated in that thick, sticky glaze. The sauce should be dark, glossy, and cling to the meat.
6. Adjust and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more sugar if you want it sweeter, more chili if you want more heat. Serve hot over steamed white rice.

Tips

• Don’t stir the vinegar too early. When you first add the vinegar, let it come to a boil before stirring. This cooks off the harsh acidity and keeps the sauce smooth.
• Control the heat level. Use fewer chilies for mild, or crush them open for extra spice. You can also add fresh siling labuyo at the end for a sharper kick.
• Best the next day. Like all adobo-style dishes, the flavors deepen overnight. Reheat in a pan to re-glaze the ribs.
• Use bone-in ribs. The bones add flavor and body to the sauce. Ask your butcher to cut the ribs into short pieces for faster cooking.