Garlic & Ginger Pork Ribs / Chicken Drumettes (Baby Version · 9 Months+)
Garlic & Ginger Pork Ribs / Chicken Drumettes (Baby Version)
Natural seasoning of garlic, ginger and spring onion — fragrant without any salt. Pork riblets or chicken drumettes, take your pick; meaty protein and iron 🍖
Want baby to enjoy proper meaty bites — and the whole family to eat together? This garlic & ginger dish uses Canada Hormone-Free Pork Back Ribs, with just minced garlic, ginger and spring onion to bring out the aroma — savoury and fragrant with no salt at all. Prefer chicken? Swap in chicken drumettes; it works just as well. Steam or bake until tender, then shred it small for a 9-month baby; the adults' portion gets a little seasoning afterwards for a true shared family meal.
Ingredients
- Canada Hormone-Free Pork Back RibsShop ↗ (or use chicken drumettes)1–2 pcs
- Garlic, finely minced1–2 cloves
- Ginger (thin slices)1–2 slices
- Spring onion (scallion) (cut into sections)1 stalk
- Baby-friendly cooking oil (avocado or walnut oil)1/2 tsp
Method
- Make the marinadeCombine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl: minced garlic, ginger slices, spring onion sections, and oil.
- Marinate the meatRub the marinade mixture evenly all over the pork riblets or chicken drumettes. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes to take on the flavour.
- Steam (choose one)Place the marinated meat along with all the aromatics onto a heatproof plate. Steam over boiling water for 12–13 minutes, until fully cooked through, no pink, juices run clear.
- Bake (choose one)Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the marinated meat on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 minutes, until fully cooked through, no pink, juices run clear.
- De-bone and serveOnce cooked, let the meat cool to a safe temperature. For babies and young toddlers, remove the meat from the bone, check carefully for small bone fragments, then shred or cut it small to suit baby's age.
Safety notes
- Pork ribs and chicken must be fully cooked — cooked through, no pink, juices run clear. Never serve underdone.
- Allergens: no common allergens. Still, when introducing a new ingredient, introduce one new food at a time and watch for 2–3 days for any reaction.
- No added salt, sugar or honey under 1. Garlic, ginger and spring onion are fragrant enough on their own — no need for added salt or soy sauce.
- Seasoning is for adults / 1y+ only: after dishing up baby's portion, the adults' portion can be seasoned with salt or soy sauce; any soy sauce is for 1 year and up, in tiny amounts.
- Always de-bone: remove the meat from the bone before serving and check carefully for small bone fragments; cut fine, serve warm, and keep baby seated and supervised while eating.
Why it's great for baby
Baby pork riblets have tender, easy-to-shred meat with a rich flavour, giving quality protein and haem iron — exactly what tops up baby's rising iron needs after 6 months; swap in chicken drumettes for easy-to-digest white-meat protein instead. With garlic, ginger and spring onion bringing all the aroma, there's no need for salt, and it's great for baby to practise gnawing and chewing — perfect for the whole family too.
Tips
Texture by age: for younger babies, shred the meat even finer and moisten it with a little unsalted stock; older babies can keep small strips for self-feeding practice.
Share with adults: after dishing up baby's portion, season the adults' portion with salt or light soy sauce — never add salt, sugar or honey to baby's portion. One batch, two meals.
Make ahead: marinate a few extra at once; uncooked, they can rest overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour. Once cooked, de-boned and shredded, portion and freeze for later.
Recipe card (save it)
Meaty bites start with one great rack of ribs 🍖
Canada Hormone-Free Pork Back Ribs are hormone-free, with tender, easy-to-shred meat — full of protein and iron, just right for baby to practise gnawing.
Shop Canada Hormone-Free Pork Back Ribs More baby recipes