Kurobuta Short Ribs with Guava BBQ Sauce

By: Lee Anne Wong

The Kurobuta Pork Short Ribs are meaty, marbled, and marvelous! This recipe starts with easy oven-baked ribs, and you can finish on the grill, in the oven, or in the deep fryer! The dry rub imparts a smoky base flavor and the sweet and tangy guava BBQ sauce will transport you straight to the shores of Hawaii!

Ingredients

Dry Rub

  • 1 cup brown sugar, dark
  • 1/2 cup paprika
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Guava BBQ Sauce

  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 cup guava paste or 2 cups guava jelly/jam
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, dark
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons minced onions
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoon ketchup
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalepeno pepper (or to taste), minced
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste

Ribs

  • 1 package (2 pounds) Snake River Farms Kurobuta Ribs Buy Now

Dry Rub

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk well. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. (Makes 2 cups, enough for 5-6 lbs of meat)

Guava BBQ Sauce

Place the water, guava paste, vinegar, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, lemon juice, onion, ginger, soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and jalapeno pepper into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking until evenly blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce has slightly thickened and is richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce should be pourable. If it has become too thick, thin it with some water. Serve hot or cold.

Ribs

Preheat the oven to 400F. Pat the ribs dry. Rub the rib racks in a generous amount of dry rub. Wrap the ribs in a secure and heavy layer of food grade plastic wrap. Wrap the ribs next in a large sheet of foil, tenting the foil and wrapping the ribs loosely, though keeping an airtight seal on the foil.
Place the foil wrapped ribs on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 45 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F and bake for another hour. Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature while leaving the ribs still wrapped in foil. (In other words, don’t open them yet!)
Once the ribs have cooled down you may refrigerate them or throw them on the grill right away to eat! Individual riblets can be cut more easily after the meat has been refrigerated. To BBQ, heat the grill on medium high. Baste as desired with the guava BBQ sauce. Alternatively, you can deep fry the cooked ribs and toss in warm guava BBQ sauce.