Chinese-Style Spareribs (Zyu1 Paai4 Gwat1, 豬排骨)

This recipe was updated on 16 June 2013. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

The pork spareribs in this recipe are prepared like the Chinese spareribs that you can buy at your local Chinese delicatessen, but the spareribs are also smoked like American spareribs. Chinese spareribs are both savory and slightly sweet, but I think the addition of wood smoke makes the spareribs taste even better. In this case, apple wood was used to smoke and flavor the spareribs, which imparts a slight sweetness to the meat and goes well with the spareribs (but any fruit smoking wood can be used, such as cherry).

The spareribs purchased from your local Asian delicatessen are usually bright red in color due to the addition of red dye. This make-at-home recipe doesn’t use added red dye. The “red” in this recipe is the result of using red vinegar and ketchup. The spareribs not being bright red doesn’t affect the taste whatsoever.

Deli-bought spareribs also have a bright glaze. Maltose is used to produce the glaze and is applied at the end of the cooking process. If you mix the maltose into the marinade to begin with, the spareribs will burn before they can cook. Since you want some charring to the spareribs together with that glazed look, you mix the maltose with some of the marinade to make the glaze and apply the glaze during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Honey can be substituted for maltose if it is not available at your local Asian supermarket.

Enjoy!                        

Pork Ingredients

1-2 racks	1-2 racks	St. Louis cut pork spareribs or baby back ribs (paai4 gwat1, 排骨), 3-4 lb. (1½-2 kg.) each
2-3 Tbs.	30-45 ml.	Baking soda (sou1 daa2 fan2, 蘇打粉)

 

Marinade Ingredients

4 Tbs.	60 ml.	Five spice powder (ng5 hoeng1 fan2, 五香粉)
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic (syun3, 蒜), crushed in a garlic press
1 in.	30 mm.	Knob of ginger (goeng1, 薑), crushed with a garlic press
¼ cup	60 ml.	Soy sauce (si6 jau4, 豉油)
¼ cup	60 ml.	Hoisin sauce (hoi2 sin1 zoeng3, 海鮮醬)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Red vinegar (hung4 cou3, 紅醋)
¼ cup	60 ml.	Ketchup
¼ cup	60 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (siu6 hing1 zau2, 紹興酒) or dry sherry

 

Glaze Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Maltose (mak6 ngaa4 tong4, 麥芽糖) or honey (mat6 tong4, 蜜糖)
1 cup	250 ml.	Marinade

 

Equipment

		Covered grill
		Apple, cherry, or any other fruit smoking wood

 

Pork Preparation Instructions

1. Remove any excess fat from the pork spareribs. Add the baking soda to the spareribs, allow the meat to tenderize for 60 minutes, and then wash the baking soda from the meat. This step can be omitted, but will result in the tender meat experienced at restaurants and the next step is easier to perform if you use baking soda.
2. Remove the membrane from the back of the spareribs. I use my fingers or a small knife to poke under the membrane starting at the end with the largest rib bone and then pull the membrane the length of the spareribs towards the smaller bones. You usually have to do this in stages since the membrane doesn’t come off all at once and in one piece. The baking soda added in the previous step actually makes this easier to do. This step is also optional (deli-bought spareribs usually don’t have the membrane removed).
3. Marinate the spareribs for one hour or overnight in the refrigerator using the five spice powder, garlic and ginger crushed in a garlic press, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red vinegar, ketchup, and Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry. If marinating the spareribs overnight, take them out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Soak any smoking wood for one hour before cooking, if desired (I do not soak the wood and use it dry).

 

Grill Preparation and Cooking Instructions

1. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly.
2. Divide the lighted coals in half and place each half on opposite sides of the grill if using a charcoal grill. Close the dampers half-way to control (reduce) the temperature. I also spread any charcoal leftover from the last use over the lighted charcoal to further dampen the heat. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Add the smoking wood. Place the spareribs into a rib rack on the grill between the hot coals or burners and cook for 45 minutes covered.
3. Reserve 1 cup (250 ml.) of the marinade and add the maltose or honey to make the glaze. You can heat the maltose or honey in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds to make it viscous enough before incorporating into the reserved marinade. Please be very careful since heated maltose or honey can burn your skin on contact. This mixture will be used for a glaze at the end of cooking.
4. Uncover the grill and apply the glaze to the spareribs at the end of the 45 minute cooking period. Recover the grill and cook for another 15 minutes. The glaze can be applied multiple times during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
5. Remove the spareribs from the grill and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before cutting the spareribs into individual ribs. Serve with Greek Yogurt Cantaloupe Pasta Salad, Cucumber and Jellyfish Salad, or steamed rice.