Serves a Crowd

Malta Braised Spare Ribs

by:
February 21, 2024
4
10 Ratings
Malta Braised Spare Ribs
Photo by Elvin Abril
  • Prep time 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Cook time 2 hours
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This sweet and deeply aromatic Malta braise works great with spare ribs, but also boneless or country-style ribs. Malta is a nonalcoholic fermented drink made from barley and hops and is especially popular throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa. Think of it almost like a sweeter, nonalcoholic Guinness. Its molasses-y, slightly bitter taste works wonderfully in braised meats such as this one. The combination of Malta and culantro—often described as cilantro’s bolder big brother (and also known as recao)—gives this dish an undeniable Caribbean flavor. —César Pérez

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 rack pork spare ribs, separated into individual ribs
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 6 ají dulce or small sweet peppers, chopped
  • 3 slices ginger
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 sprigs cilantro, chopped
  • 3 sprigs culantro, chopped
  • 1 12-ounce bottle Malta
  • Chopped cilantro and pickled onions, for garnish
Directions
  1. Make the spice rub: Combine the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl.
  2. Season ribs with spice rub at least 1 hour (at room temperature) or up to 48 hours (covered and refrigerated) in advance.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear spare ribs until deeply golden brown on both sides, around 5 minutes per side.
  4. Add onion, garlic, peppers, and ginger. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
  5. Stir in tomato paste and vanilla bean paste, and cook for 1 minute.
  6. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cilantro, and culantro. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours, or until the ribs are tender but not falling off the bone. Add more broth or water if necessary to prevent drying out.
  7. Once the ribs are mostly tender, remove the lid and pour in 1 bottle of Malta. Increase the heat to high, allowing the Malta to boil vigorously. This will reduce and caramelize the sauce around the ribs.
  8. Watch the pot closely as the Malta reduces to prevent burning. Stir often to make sure all the ribs are coated. Cut the heat once the sauce can coat the back of a spoon.
  9. Plate the ribs, garnishing with additional cilantro and pickled onions.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Jenny Tromp
    Jenny Tromp
  • GardenandtheBaker
    GardenandtheBaker
  • Brooklynchica12345
    Brooklynchica12345
  • Molli Dawson
    Molli Dawson
César Pérez

Recipe by: César Pérez

Recipe Developer & Food52 Test Kitchen Content Creator

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5 Reviews

GardenandtheBaker
GardenandtheBaker September 8, 2024
Recipe was easy to follow, but I couldn’t get culantro and so used more cilantro and stems. I also subbed in Guinness for the Malta. I also probably added too much stock because I was making a double batch and used a deep pot, so it initially didn’t carmelize and so I cooked it all down in a braising pan and it really came together. Personally, it was too “Indian” in flavor for me, and I am Indian. I have to be in the mood for that combination of flavors, and I was hoping for something sweeter and more fruity (though why I thought that, I don’t know - there is no fruit in here). I did add about 2 T of sugar in the end, I like that. Would I make this again? Yes, if I was cooking Indian food for a crowd and knew they would want meat. I did like the process, I have never cut ribs individually before nor have I braised them and the melt-in-your-mouth result from the long cook time was amazing. I rated this a four star because it was relatively fool proof, very flavorful, and the results were excellent. I cannot help it that I had a different flavor profile in mind.
 
GardenandtheBaker
GardenandtheBaker September 8, 2024
Oh, and I braised it for double the time recommended, keeping an eye on the liquid level.
 
Brooklynchica12345
Brooklynchica12345 April 2, 2024
These ribs POPPED AWF. The malta caramelized the pork so well and added a depth of flavor that was so delicious. Thanks Cesar for bringing these awesome Caribbean recipes !
 
Jenny T.
Jenny T. April 2, 2024
I thought these ribs were delicious! I added 1 tablespoons of salt and the final product came out awesome! In my country we also cook a similar stew, stew pork & cabbage, so this was a nice twist for what I usually make for my family. For me, the ribs were super tender, 'fall off the bone' and the sauce was a delight! Thank you for the recipe! Please keep similar recipes coming!! Being from the Caribbean, this was fantastic!
 
Molli D.
Molli D. March 4, 2024
No………followed the recipe to a “T” except for the three sprigs of culantro. The flavor was excellent but meat and sauce did not cook as described!!! Very disappointing.