sticky pork ribs... 2 hours

the goods:

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed and peeled
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise
2 pounds pork spare ribs, separated

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together brown sugar, fish sauce, lemon juice, and soy sauce until sugar dissolves, 2 minutes. Add ginger, chile, and pork ribs; toss to coat. Arrange ribs in a single layer.



(Helpful tip: wipe down inside walls of baking dish prior to baking to save some hard scrubbing later.)

Cover with foil and bake ribs 1 hour.



Remove foil, increase heat to 450 degrees and bake until sauce is reduced and ribs are glazed, 40 to 45 minutes more, turning ribs occasionally.