Southern Thai curry with pork ribs

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1.2 kg pork ribs
• 2 tbsp Thai curry paste, red
• 1 ½ tbsp turmeric powder
• 10 chili peppers (bird’s eye chili), possibly less
• 1 tbsp Thai shrimp paste (Gapi)
• 2 tsp peppercorns, white
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar, brown or palm sugar
• 4 kaffir lime leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

Gaeng Prik Graduk Moh

Place the five ingredients, including the ribs, in a granite mortar and pestle and grind until a smooth paste forms. This can also be done with a hand grinder, then add a little water. Separate the ribs at the bone and place them in a pot. Add the paste, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the sugar. Just cover the ribs with water, put the lid on, and bring to a boil. Then, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours until tender. Add more water if necessary; the meat should always be covered. When the meat is tender, tear the kaffir lime leaves slightly and add them, season with salt and sugar to taste. Remove the pot from the heat and serve the curry in soup bowls. Serve the dish with rice and slices of fresh cucumber. Stir-fried vegetables, for example, make a great side dish. In southern Thailand, this curry is cooked very hot, so be careful when adding chilies. Red curry paste is also available with turmeric, so you can use that instead, eliminating the need for turmeric powder. Be careful with turmeric; it leaves stains on plastic, wood, and fabric that are almost impossible to remove.