Crispy Garlic Cumin Spare Ribs
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these garlic cumin spare ribs are packed with fragrant spices and savory flavor.
These garlic cumin spare ribs are an absolute crowd-pleaser that brings bold, aromatic street food flavors straight to your home kitchen. By blanching the pork first to ensure purity and then pan-frying it to a golden crisp, you lock in all the rich juices before tossing the meat in a fragrant blend of cumin, chili, and minced garlic.
Ingredients
- 1 kg spare ribs
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 2 green chili peppers
- 2 red chili peppers
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 stalks green onions
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- 1.5 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- as needed cooking oil
Instructions
- 1Prep and Cut Ribs

Remove the membrane from the back of the spare rib rack, then cut the ribs into individual pieces for even cooking and better flavor absorption.
Tip: Removing the membrane helps the ribs cook more evenly and absorb flavors better. - 2Chop Aromatics

Finely chop the onion, garlic, green chili, and red chili peppers on a cutting board.
Tip: Keep the pieces uniformly sized for even flavor distribution during stir-frying. - 3Blanch the Ribs

Blanch the pork ribs in a wok of boiling water with ginger slices and green onions to remove any scum and impurities.
Tip: Blanching helps clean the meat and remove gamey flavors before frying. - 4Pan-Fry the Ribs

Pan-fry the blanched pork ribs in hot oil until the surfaces turn golden brown on all sides.
Tip: Ensure the oil is hot before adding the ribs to get a crispy outer crust. - 5Sauté Aromatics

Sauté the finely chopped onion, garlic, green chili, and red chili peppers in a pan with a little oil over medium heat until fragrant.
Tip: Sauté over medium heat so the garlic becomes aromatic without burning. - 6Season with Spices

Add cumin powder, chili powder, and salt to the sautéed aromatics in the pan, ensuring spices are ready before returning the ribs.
Tip: Add the spices just before returning the ribs to prevent them from burning. - 7Toss Ribs with Spices

Add the previously fried spare ribs back into the pan with the sautéed aromatics, cumin powder, chili powder, and salt. Stir-fry briefly over high heat until the spices evenly coat the ribs and everything is well combined.
Tip: Toss quickly on high heat so the spices become fragrant without burning the minced garlic and chilis.