Chinese-Style Spareribs

Name: Chinese-Style Spareribs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 4-6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 29.58 ml ground coriander; 29.58 ml hot chili powder; 29.58 ml dark brown sugar; 14.79 ml five-spice powder; 14.79 ml ground fennel; 14.79 ml kosher salt; 4.92 ml dried red chili pepper flakes; 2 full 13-rib st. louis-cut pork spare rib racks (about 3 pounds each, ask the butcher to remove the breastbone and adjacent strip of fatty joints); kosher salt; 59.14 ml soy sauce; 29.58 ml granulated sugar; 29.58 ml rice vinegar; 14.79 ml minced fresh ginger; 4.92 ml toasted sesame oil; sliced scallion, for garnish

Submitted by Ms B.

"I adopted this recipe after Mean Chef left the site. The recipe is from Fine Cooking Magazine. My comments from my first reviews were, "I prepared these for my Christmas Open House appetizer buffet. I used baby back ribs and rubbed liberally with the spice rub. They smelled heavenly while baking, and had a great flavor even before I added the sauce. Everyone raved, and they were the first item to disappear from the buffet." I have since made these for many, many parties and everyone always loves them. I use baby back ribs, and 2 racks are never enough. Cooking time for baby back ribs is about 3 hours."

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photo by Ms B.

Ready In:: 2hrs 20mins
Ingredients:: 15
Serves:: 4

ingredients

For the Chinese spice rub
29.58 ml ground coriander
29.58 ml hot chili powder
29.58 ml dark brown sugar
14.79 ml five-spice powder
14.79 ml ground fennel
14.79 ml kosher salt
4.92 ml dried red chili pepper flakes
For the ribs
2 full 13-rib st. louis-cut pork spare rib racks (about 3 pounds each, ask the butcher to remove the breastbone and adjacent strip of fatty joints)
kosher salt
For the Asian dipping sauce
59.14 ml soy sauce
29.58 ml granulated sugar
29.58 ml rice vinegar
14.79 ml minced fresh ginger
4.92 ml toasted sesame oil
sliced scallion, for garnish

directions

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.

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Reviews

These were great!! A nice change from BBQ ribs, and SO tender!

jesrn2000
Agree w/ YungB. Next time I will reduce the salt. I doubled the sauce, but that was completely unnecessary. These were excellent. Thanks for a great recipe!

MiaSumitra
Excellent ribs. The next time, I will reduce the salt but the rest of the ingredients are perfect.

YungB
I just made this tonight. I used dried fennel seeds instead of ground fennel. I really love the dipping sauce. I baked them for 3 hours. Thank you for posting this recipe.

Morning Biscotti
These ribs were great. The dipping sauce is amazing. I didn't have any fennel on hand but used all other ingredients for the rub.I used baby back ribs and cooked them for 3 hours. Ribs were tender, falling of the bone. I can't wait to make then again! Thanks

atm1970

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Tweaks

I just made this tonight. I used dried fennel seeds instead of ground fennel. I really love the dipping sauce. I baked them for 3 hours. Thank you for posting this recipe.

Morning Biscotti