Char-Siu Style Pork Ribs

Mmm, ribs. I admit to being a "pig" for ribs. It's a good thing good ribs can be a little hard to get hold of. My goal was to make ribs that taste like Chinese barbecue pork (char-siu), and these are somewhat close, if not exact. Delicious, anyway. No, I didn't add any food colour, unlike as with most of the char-siu you see out there. Still, they did take on a fair bit of red colour which does add to the effect.

These are but one step away from being "honey-garlic" ribs. If that's what you want, be sure to use the higher amount of honey and add finely minced garlic, lots of finely minced garlic. The lower amount of honey will probably give a more traditional char-siu flavour.

4 servings
3 hours - not including overnight marinade


Make the Marinade:
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
¼ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup hoisin sauce
3 or 4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Mix well in a bowl.

Prepare and Cook the Ribs:
2 kilos (4 pounds) pork ribs

Cut the ribs into individual pieces. Place them in a single layer in a roasting pan, and spoon the marinade over them, spreading it around and turning them so they are all evenly coated. Marinate the ribs overnight, covered in the fridge.

When you are ready to start cooking them, drain most of the marinade off the ribs into a pot, which should be kept in the fridge until the ribs are almost done.

Meanwhile, put the pan of ribs without the marinade (and uncovered) into the oven and bake the ribs for 2 to 2 ½ hours at 250°F.

At this point, reduce the pot of marinade on stove, until it is quite thick. This won't take long, probably about 5 minutes. Stir constantly.

Drain any accumulated fat from the ribs. Brush them with the reduced marinade, and bake them for a further 20 minutes at 400°F until dry and crisped.