Yassa You Later, Ribs!
Grilled Baby Back Ribs Marinated in Lemon-Mustard Yassa and Served with Caramelized Onion Sauce and Rice
2 hours 30 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerAfricanGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Senegal’s legendary yassa, garlicky, mustardy, citrus-packed chicken, takes a pit stop at the rib rack in this riff. You'll master marinating with acid, grilling for smoky char, and building a sauce from deeply caramelized onions.
Equipment needed
- Grill (or oven and broiler)
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Cut the rack of baby back ribs into two or three sections to fit in a large zip-top bag or baking dish.
- 02In a bowl, combine lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp sugar, half the minced garlic, half the sliced chile, and 1 tsp dried thyme. Whisk to blend.
- 03Add the rib sections to the marinade, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- 04When ready to cook, remove ribs from marinade; wipe off any stuck-on solids. Reserve all marinade.
- 05Heat a grill for indirect medium heat (about 350 F). Alternatively, preheat your oven to 350 F.
- 06While grill heats, set a large skillet over medium heat and add remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add sliced onions, 1/2 tsp salt, and remaining sugar. Cook, stirring often, until onions are deep golden brown and jammy, 25 to 35 minutes.
- 07Add remaining garlic and chile to the onions; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 08Pour in reserved marinade and white vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the sauce is glossy and reduced by half, about 6 minutes.
- 09Add 1 cup chicken stock, bay leaf, and a few grinds of pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- 10Meanwhile, grill ribs over indirect heat, turning every 20 minutes and basting with a few spoonfuls of onion sauce each time, until tender and charred at the edges, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (If using the oven, place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour. Uncover, baste, and broil for 3–5 minutes to char.)
- 11While ribs cook, rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain. In a saucepan, combine rice, remaining 2 cups chicken stock, 1/4 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Stir once, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam 10 minutes before fluffing.
- 12Transfer ribs to a cutting board and slice between bones. Arrange over mounds of rice, then top generously with caramelized onion sauce. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
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