Lacquered Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Takeout-parlor spare ribs done right at home: pork ribs bathe overnight in a hoisin, five-spice and fermented bean curd marinade, roast low over a pan of water so they stay juicy, then get a double honey glaze under the broiler for that glossy, mahogany-red lacquer. Sticky, smoky-sweet, and built for pulling apart with your fingers.

Ingredients

• 3 lb pork spare ribs, St. Louis cut (1 rack)
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 cubes red fermented bean curd, plus 1 tbsp of its brine (optional but traditional)
• 1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp reserved marinade
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• Chinese hot mustard, for dipping (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep the ribs the day before: pat the rack dry, flip it bone-side up and slide a butter knife under the thin silverskin membrane at one end. Grip it with a paper towel and peel it off. Trim any flaps of loose fat, then cut the rack between the bones into individual ribs (this maximizes the lacquered surface area, the way takeout shops serve them). Season all over with the kosher salt.
2. Make the marinade: mash the fermented bean curd cubes with their brine into a smooth paste in a large bowl, then whisk in the hoisin, sugar, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and white pepper until the sugar dissolves.
3. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade in a small covered container and refrigerate it — that clean portion becomes your glaze base. Add the ribs to the remaining marinade, tossing with your hands until every rib is coated. Transfer to a zip-top bag or covered dish and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 24, turning the bag once or twice.
4. Take the ribs out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, pour in 3 cups of hot water, and set a wire rack over it so the rack sits above the water line.
5. Lift the ribs from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and lay them meat-side up on the rack with about an inch between each. Discard the used marinade. Roast for 60 minutes — the steam from the water below keeps the meat from drying out and stops the sugars from scorching on the pan.
6. Flip each rib and roast another 20 to 30 minutes, until the meat has pulled back from the bone ends by about 1/4 inch and a paring knife slides into the thickest part with almost no resistance (internal temp around 195°F). Top up the water pan with hot water if it has run dry.
7. While the ribs finish, make the glaze: warm the honey, reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade, hot water and rice vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking until pourable and glossy. Keep it warm.
8. Turn the ribs meat-side up, move the oven rack to about 6 inches below the broiler element and set the broiler to high. Brush the ribs generously with glaze and broil 2 to 4 minutes, watching constantly, until the edges bubble and darken to deep mahogany.
9. Pull the pan, brush on a second coat of glaze, and broil 1 to 2 minutes more for that final lacquered shine. Pull them the moment you see black spots forming — the honey goes from caramelized to burnt fast.
10. Rest the ribs 5 minutes, then brush with any remaining glaze, pile onto a platter and shower with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve hot with hot mustard for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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