Country-Style Ribs with Quick-Pickled Watermelon

Ingredients

• •½ cup light brown sugar
• •½ cup soy sauce
• •¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• •3 whole scallions
• •6 cloves garlic
• •2 tablespoons ginger
• •1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
• •1 tablespoon hot chili paste
• •1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• •1 teaspoon black pepper
• •½ medium onion
• •3 pounds country-style pork ribs
• •2 tablespoons Chinese hot mustard powder
• •1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• •⅓ cup Champagne vinegar
• •2 tablespoons lime juice
• •1 tablespoon shallot
• •1 teaspoon honey
• •½ cup olive oil
• •1 to taste kosher salt and pepper
• •5 cups seedless watermelon
• •4 cups cherry tomatoes
• •¼ cup cilantro leaves

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   First, make the marinade. Bring brown sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat to medium and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup; transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in soy sauce and next 8 ingredients. Stir in onion. Let cool. Pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag.

   15 min

2. 2.

   Rub ribs with mustard powder and add to marinade in bag; seal bag and turn ribs to coat. Place bag in a baking dish and chill, turning occasionally, for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

   360 min

3. 3.

   Start with the dressing. In a small saucepan over low heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant and beginning to pop, 2-3 minutes. Transfer coriander to a baking sheet and crush slightly with the back of a cool skillet. Combine coriander, vinegar, lime juice, shallot, and honey in a small bowl. Whisk in oil and season with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside.

   10 min

4. 4.

   Place watermelon in a large bowl; add 1/2 cup vinaigrette and toss to coat. Cover and chill, tossing occasionally, for up to 1 hour to lightly pickle watermelon.

   60 min

5. 5.

   Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Transfer ribs from bag, leaving some marinade clinging to surface, onto a baking sheet. Pour remaining marinade from bag into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Set marinade aside.

   15 min

6. 6.

   Grill ribs until nicely charred and cooked to medium, about 5 minutes per side. Using tongs, dunk each rib into reserved marinade. Return ribs to grill and cook, turning once, until cooked to medium-well, about 2 minutes per side.

   14 min

7. 7.

   Toss tomatoes, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 1 Tbsp. vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

   5 min

8. 8.

   Top ribs with pickled watermelon. Scatter tomato mixture over. Garnish with more cilantro. Serve, passing remaining vinaigrette alongside for drizzling over.

   5 min