St. Louis Ribs with Smoky Peanut Glaze and Ginger Nuoc Cham

• 3-pound rack of St. Louis ribs, cleaned and rubbed with the rub seasoning (below) and refrigerated for 24 hours
• 2 cups of vegetable stock or water
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorns
• 2 pods star anise
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• ⅓ cup soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• ¼ cup of toasted, coarsely chopped peanuts

For the dry rub:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon cumin, ground
• ½ tablespoon coriander, ground
• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper

Nuoc Cham
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:

• ½ cup warm water, plus more as needed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes), plus more to taste
• 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce plus more to taste
• ½ small carrot, matchstick-cut or coarsely grated (2 tablespoons)
• 1 (1-ounce) Thai chile or serrano chile, de-seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced (1½ teaspoons)

Day one: Prepare the ribs

1. Cut the ribs into 1-pound sections and in a heavy duty plastic, freezer bag, coat the ribs with the dry rub. Massage into the ribs, making sure to evenly coat. Seal the bags and rest in the refrigerator, overnight.

 Day two: Cook the ribs

1. On the second day, turn the Woodcreek grill onto ‘Sear’. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and rinse in cold water, then pat dry.
   
   
2. In a heavy bottomed braising pan, pour in the stock or water and add the bay leaves, peppercorns and star anise. Place the ribs into the liquid. Cover the pan first with plastic wrap, then tightly with aluminum foil. Place into a 300 degree oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until fork tender.
   
   
3. Remove the ribs from the oven and cool in liquid. Once cool, discard the liquid and pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Drizzle the ribs with canola oil (about 2 tablespoons). Coat them well and be fragile so they don’t fall apart.
   
   
4. Add the ribs to the grill on the right hand side above the firebox and mark them well by turning a few times so as to crisp them up and char them well. While the ribs are marking on the grill, make the glaze. 

Glaze the ribs

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons peanut butter, ⅓ cup soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon honey and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Whisk to emulsify. Fold in the peanuts. 
   
   
2. Glaze the ribs with the peanut sauce by basting them continuously as they caramelize on the grill. As they cook, move them to a slightly cooler area of the grill. We like using the bun toasting deck above the grill.

While the ribs are finishing caramelizing and glazing, prepare the Nuoc Cham.

Nuoc Cham Procedure:

1. Stir together ½ cup water, lime juice, and maple in a small bowl until it all dissolves. Add additional lime juice and/or sugar to taste; dilute with water if flavors are too strong. If there’s an unpleasant tart-bitter edge, add rice vinegar to fix flavor.
   
   
2. Stir in fish sauce; add additional fish sauce to taste. (How much you use depends on the brand and your own taste.) Aim for a bold, forward finish that’s a little gutsy. Keep in mind that this sauce typically dresses dishes that include unsalted ingredients such as lettuce and herbs, which will need an extra flavor lift.
   
   
3. Stir in carrot, chile, and/or garlic. (Offer chile on the side if diners are sensitive to its heat.) Serve sauce in a bowl on the table so diners may help themselves or divide among small individual bowls in advance.
   
   
4. When the ribs are ready, pull from the grill and place them into a small bowl. Toss them with some more crushed peanuts to coat evenly. Serve immediately with the Nuoc Cham.