Description
Instant Pot Jerk Ribs. Jamaican style pork ribs, with a Scotch Bonnet and allspice marinade, cooked in the pressure cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 slab St. Louis Cut spareribs (about 3 pounds), membrane peeled off
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
Jerk Paste
- 4 scotch bonnet (or habanero) peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 scallions (green onions), root ends trimmed, cut into rough 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon paprika (preferably Pimenton, smoked Spanish paprika)
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
Instructions
- Remove the membrane from the ribs: On the bone side of the slab of ribs, work a butter knife between the membrane and a bone, then grab the membrane with a paper towel and pull it off of the ribs. Pull gently but firmly; if the membrane tears while you’re pulling, work the knife under the remaining pieces and pull them off as well. Trim the flap of meat from the bone side as well – either discard it, or marinate it and add it to the pot with the ribs. (It makes a nice cook’s snack.)
- Make the Jerk Marinade: Put the seeded scotch bonnet peppers, garlic, and scallions in a food processor, and pulse with 1-second pulses until finely chopped, about 5 pulses. Add the brown sugar, allspice, paprika, thyme, and cinnamon, and pulse a few times to mix. Add the vegetable oil, soy sauce, and pineapple juice, then run the food processor for 30 seconds to blend into a marinade.
- Season the ribs: Cut the rack of ribs into 4 pieces, cutting between every 3rd bone. Sprinkle the ribs with the 1½ teaspoons of sea salt. Put the ribs in a zip-top plastic bag, pour in the Jerk marinade, and seal, squeezing out any extra air from the bag. (Or, put the ribs in a baking dish, pour the Jerk marinade over the ribs, and cover with plastic wrap). Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours, flipping the bag of ribs every now and then to redistribute the marinade.
- Pressure cook the ribs for 30 minutes with a Natural Release: Pour ½ cup of water into the Instant Pot (or use the minimum liquid amount for your pressure cooker), and (optional) add 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke. Lift the ribs out of the marinade, letting any excess drip off, then stack the ribs loosely in the cooker, bone side down. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC (use “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot), or for 24 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 more minutes. If you’re in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.
- Broil the ribs (optional): Put the ribs, bone side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Put the baking sheet under a broiler set to high. Broil the ribs until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the ribs from the broiler, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Want your Jerk Pork to have next level heat? Don’t seed the peppers. Remove the stems and then toss them in the food processor, seeds and all. (I think of removing the stem like pulling the pin on a grenade, and I want to shout “fire in the hole!” when I toss them in the food processor.)
- I like St. Louis Cut spareribs for this recipe; they’re a trimmed version of a full slab of spareribs. Can’t find St. Louis Cut Spareribs? Baby back ribs are also very good, and cook the same - use them in the recipe as written. Full slabs of spareribs take a little longer to cook, because they’re larger. Cook for 40 minutes at high pressure in an Instant Pot or other electric PC, or for 36 minutes in a stovetop PC.
Tools
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Jamaican