Chinese Spare Ribs (Char Siu)
Char siu, otherwise known as barbecued pork, is a popular way to prepare pork in Cantonese cuisine. It isn't barbecued in the sense of being grilled over coals or wood, but rather roasted in an oven (although they are also good cooked on the grill using a slow, indirect cooking technique). The name means "fork roasted," for the technique of suspending the meat on prongs while cooking. This way, fat and excess marinade drip off the meat, which glazes evenly all around.
The meat is seasoned with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red food colouring (optional) and sherry or rice wine (optional). These seasonings turn the exterior layer of meat dark red. Char siu is typically consumed alongside a starch, whether inside a bun (Char Siu Bao), with noodles, or with rice.
The characteristic red hue of char siu comes from red food coloring, which you can add to the marinade if you'd like.
These recipes call for spareribs. The most common cut of meat used for traditional char siu is thin strips of fatty pork shoulder (pork butt), but ribs are not all that uncommon, and make for perfect finger foods. The Chinese will also use pork belly.
Pork shoulder is used in this recipe for bao (buns): Baked Pork Buns (Baked Char Siu Bao).
Szechuan Style Spareribs
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006
1 (4 pound) slab pork spareribs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons chile garlic sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
Using a sharp knife, cut the slab of ribs between the bones into individual ribs. Place in a stock pot or large soup pot and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer, and cook until the ribs are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, skimming the surface of any scum that rises to the top while cooking. Remove the ribs to a large bowl and set aside to cool completely. (Reserve the pork stock for another purpose.)
Combine the rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, garlic, chile garlic sauce and five-spice powder and whisk to blend. Pour half of the marinade over the cooled ribs and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or up to overnight. Reserve the remaining half of the marinade in a non-reactive container and refrigerate.
Preheat the broiler and position a rack in the upper third of the oven.
To the remaining half of the marinade, add the honey and sesame oil and whisk to combine. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and transfer to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with some of the remaining marinade-honey mixture and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the ribs are crispy on the upper edges. Remove the ribs from the oven and turn to the other side, brush with some of the remaining marinade mixture and broil again for about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve hot.
Chinese Spare Ribs
I came up with this recipe by looking at a lot of variations. The marinade/glaze was very good. The ribs could have been more "fall of the bone" done. If we ever make them again, I think they should be covered with aluminum foil to begin with and cooked at a lower temperature. The take the foil off to brown them.
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. dry sherry
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (we used 1 1/2 tsp. dry ground ginger)
1 teaspoon red food coloring, optional
1 rack spare ribs (St. Louis-style work best), individually sliced into single ribs
Whisk together the hoisin, soy sauce, sherry, garlic, sugar, food coloring, and five-spice powder in a large bowl. Add the ribs and toss to coat with marinade. Refrigerate the ribs in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a rack on a baking sheet. Remove the ribs from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Place the ribs on the rack meat side up. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and pour enough water into the baking sheet so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the pan, making sure that the water does not touch the ribs.
Bake the ribs for 30 minutes, then baste with the reserved marinade. Flip the ribs and baste again. Bake for 30 minutes more, adding more water to the baking sheet if it dries up. Raise the oven temperature to 450°F. Flip the ribs over again so that they are meat side up and baste with the remaining marinade. Continue baking until the ribs are glazed, browned, and tender, about 20 minutes more.
Serve with Chinese mustard or duck sauce.
