Chinese Style Spareribs Recipes

Steps:

• Mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, five-spice powder, garlic, ginger and food coloring in a metal, non-reactive bowl. Pour the marinade into a large zip-top bag, reserving 1/2 cup on the side for basting later. Add the ribs to the bag and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 3 hours, though longer is better and overnight is ideal.
• Heat a charcoal or gas grill to 275 degrees F for direct and indirect grilling.
• Remove the ribs from the marinade (discard the marinade) and place onto a wire rack. Place the rack directly on the cooler side of the grill. Cook until the meat is very tender, basting with the reserved marinade 3 times during the cooking process, 2 to 3 hours.
• Drizzle the ribs with honey, move them to the direct heat side and quickly char each rib to caramelize.

Steps:

• In a shallow glass dish, mix together the hoisin sauce, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, sake, rice vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, garlic and five-spice powder. Place the ribs in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or as long as overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fill a broiler tray with enough water to cover the bottom. Place the grate or rack over the tray. Arrange the ribs on the grate.
• Place the broiler rack in the center of the oven. Cook for 40 minutes, turning and brushing with the marinade every 10 minutes. Let the marinade cook on for the final 10 minutes to make a glaze. Finish under the broiler if desired. Discard any remaining marinade.

Steps:

• Cut ribs into serving pieces; place in shallow, foil-lined pan, meaty side down.
• Combine remaining ingredients; brush ribs thoroughly with sauce.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. 1 hour.
• Turn ribs over, pour remaining sauce over ribs and brush with sauce. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes longer; brush occasionally.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Add ribs and marinate 24 hours.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (check for doneness).
• Serve with white rice.

Steps:

• Note: Yields 1/2 cup spice rub and about 2/3 cup sauce.
• Make the spice rub: In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients.
• Cook the ribs: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F Sprinkle and press 1/4 cup of the rub on both sides of each rib rack.
• Put the racks, meaty side up, on a broiling pan or a wire roasting rack set over a baking sheet.
• Lightly season the ribs with salt and put them in the oven.
• After the first hour, rotate the pan every 30 minutes (If you use two baking sheets, switch their position in the oven, too.) The ribs will sizzle gently as they cook, and they'll become tender after about 2 - 3 hours in the oven.
• To test for doneness, pick up the center of the ribs with tongs; the ends of the ribs should flop downward (this means the fat and cartilage have broken down), and a skewer inserted between the ribs should meet little resistance.
• If the meat between the ribs is still tough, keep cooking, checking every 15 minutes and rotating the pan.
• Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• The sauce will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.
• Cut and serve: When the ribs are done, remove them from the oven, put them on a cutting board meaty side down (so they're easier to slice), and slice them into individual ribs.
• Arrange on a platter and serve with the sauce on the side.
• Or, stack the ribs, drizzle with some of the dipping sauce (serve the rest on the side), and garnish with the sliced scallions.

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, mince garlic and scallions. Add hoisin, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, rice wine or vodka, rice vinegar and five-spice powder. Process until well blended. Taste for sweetness; the mixture should be sweet like barbecue sauce, not candy. Adjust the taste with honey, soy sauce and vinegar.
• Set aside 1/3 cup marinade for basting. Transfer remaining marinade to a container or pan large enough to hold the ribs, or to large resealable plastic bags. Add ribs and turn until well coated. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days, turning occasionally in the marinade.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Set up a rimmed baking sheet (or two) with an oven-safe wire rack that fits inside, the kind you'd use for cooling cookies. Line the bottoms of the pans with foil or nonstick baking mats. Place the racks inside the pans and place the empty pans on the bottom rack of the oven. Pour in hot water until it comes about halfway up the sides of the pan. (Do not skip the water: The steam helps cook the meat to the right tenderness.)
• When the oven is hot, remove the ribs from the marinade and place on the racks, meaty side up. Bake without basting, 1 hour for baby back ribs, 2 hours for St. Louis style ribs. Check the water level occasionally to make sure it hasn't cooked off.
• Remove ribs from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour off any water from the baking sheet and return the ribs to the racks. (Alternatively, you can finish the ribs on a medium-hot grill; see below.)
• Return ribs to the oven and roast (or grill), basting 2 or 3 times with reserved marinade, for 20 to 30 minutes (less time for baby backs, more for spareribs). Watch the ribs carefully to make sure that the edges don't burn, and don't baste them too close to the end; they should be dry and sticky, not wet on the surface.
• Use a big knife to cut between the bones, making sure that each rib has meat on both sides. Mound on a platter, sprinkle with scallions and cilantro, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Put the ribs in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins. Meanwhile, pour the hoisin sauce in a jug and stir in the soy sauce, honey, vinegar and five-spice.
• Drain the ribs very well, then brush with the glaze - if barbecuing, chill, cover and keep in the fridge for later.
• Heat the grill to high, if using. Grill or barbecue for 15-20 mins, turning from time to time until shiny and slightly charred in places. Serve hot.