Caramel Pork Ribs Recipe

Recipe By:  David Lebovitz

David Lebovitz's irresistible saucy ribs from his book My Paris Kitchen. Serve these ribs French-style with plain rice, or with mashed potatoes and a raw vegetable slaw.


3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, light or dark
3/4 cup beer
1/4 cup bourbon
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
1 (1/2″) piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp Sriracha sauce, or another hot sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 lb. pork ribs, cut into 3- or 4-rib portions


Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Step 2: Spread the granulated sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a large pot with a cover, such as a roasting pan or a Dutch oven. Cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt around the edges. When the liquefied sugar just starts to darken to a pale copper colour, stir the sugar inward and continue to cook, stirring until the sugar is completely moistened. Continue to cook the sugar, stirring infrequently, until all of it is a deep copper-coloured liquid, similar in colour to dark maple syrup, and smoking (but not burnt). Tum off the heat and stir in the brown sugar, then add the beer. The mixture will seize and harden, which is normal.

Step 3: Let the mixture cool down a bit, then stir in the bourbon, cider vinegar, ketchup, ginger, soy sauce, hot sauce, mustard, and pep­per. Put the ribs in the pot and turn on the heat until the sauce boils and bubbles up. Turn the ribs a few times in the liquid, cover, and roast in the oven for 1 to 2 hours, until the ribs are tender. During the roasting, remove them from the oven and turn the ribs over two or three times.

Step 4: Remove the lid from the pot and continue to roast, turning the ribs a few times, for 30 minutes more, or until the juices have thickened a bit. Remove from the oven, skim any visible fat from the surface of the liquid, and serve.

Reprinted with permission from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen (2014 Ten Speed Press).