Sticky Guava Ribs

By Kia Damon

Published September 17, 2024

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
3 hours and 10 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Rating
5(252)
Comments
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These easy, oven-baked ribs are sticky, sweet, spicy and splendidly delicious. The sweet guava paste makes an excellent foundation for the barbeque sauce, resulting in a sauce that’s quick to caramelize and clings to your fingers with every bite. The low and slow cooking technique gives you tender, fall-off-the-bone meat with little to no effort and plenty of rendered fat to baste the ribs before you sauce them up. If you’re feeding a crowd, you can make the ribs ahead of time and broil them before serving. That’ll give you time to prepare a green salad or mango slaw for sides. The extra sauce keeps well in the fridge for two weeks or in the freezer for three months. Stash it away for a rainy day  or you can double the amount of ribs for a larger serving -- that’s if you don’t eat them all before your guests arrive.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 pounds pork or beef ribs, membrane removed

  • Salt and pepper

  • 8 ounces guava paste, cubed

  • ¼ cup tomato paste

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced 

  • 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

  • ½ tablespoon ground ginger

  • ½ tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

18 grams carbs; 172 milligrams cholesterol; 839 calories; 33 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams saturated fat; 69 grams fat; 4 grams trans fat; 5 grams fiber; 785 milligrams sodium; 39 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 275 degrees and season both sides of the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty foil, place the ribs rounded-side up on the sheet then tightly wrap foil over the top of the pan, completely sealing the ribs inside. Cook until the meat is tender and nearly falling off the bone without much resistance, about 3 hours.

  2. Step 2

    While the ribs cook, combine the guava paste, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, paprika, ginger, onion powder, cayenne and ¼ cup water in a large, deep pot. (The sauce is prone to splattering.) Bring to a boil on high while whisking the ingredients. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook, whisking periodically, for about 10 minutes so the flavors meld. Taste for salt and pepper. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.)

  3. Step 3

    When the ribs have finished cooking, remove the foil and brush with some of the rendered fat from the pan, then brush generously with the guava barbeque sauce on both sides. Set the oven to broil. Return the ribs to the oven and broil them on the top rack for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until the sauce is caramelized and browned in spots. Cut into pieces and serve with some extra sauce on the side, if you like.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
252 user ratings
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Comments

Joanne Q

Guava paste is usually found in the “Hispanic food” section of your grocery store. Usually that means Goya brand, but if you’re lucky, you could find competitors.

TheFunRevUCC

One tip: Guava paste is VERY sticky. My grandfather always had mug of hot water just off the boil and a towel handy when he was slicing the paste into squares for cheese platters; he dipped and dried between every slice for clean edges, but I think if I were cubing it to melt more easily, every 2-3 cuts would probably be okay.

Elane

@Squirrel Butler https://a.co/d/ckc2dPn Mexican grocers often have it frozen

Luther

Kinda over the top about where Guava paste is. A great recipe coming from someone that has been cooking ribs for 50+ years. While the recipe calls for cooking the ribs in the oven, grilling or smoking is absolutely fine as well. It's about the sauce, and the sauce is amazingly good. If you follow the sauce recipe, it will look like the picture. It's thick, so it doesn't run onto the grates. Great flavors and no, the spice level is fine. Cayenne is subtle. The sauce will surprise many aficionado.

Bailey Walker

I have a jar of guava spread from Trader Joe’s, could that be used in place of the guava paste?

Bailey Walker

@Bailey Walker Update: It worked perfectly, these ribs were delicious!!

Janet Colman

@Bailey Walker my question as well!

Debi

Great technique for using any type of sauce. The sweet guava and spice combo in this one was spot-on however. Absolutely delicious! (Cut cayenne in half, as had dinner guests & didn't know their spice tolerance...turned out just picante enough. Also, cooked for about 3.5 hrs & one rack did fall apart. But, that's what you want with ribs, right?!) Will be our go-to ribs for now on!

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