Chinatown-style “Take Out” Spare Ribs
Growing up, there was nothing like homemade pretend “take out” Chinese spare ribs. My family’s famous Chinatown recipe, which has the ribs so tender they fall off the bone, always wows even the most diverse crowds. Perfect for bringing to a barbeque, a tailgate, or a pot luck with some steamed rice, your fortune reads: You will be asked for the spare rib recipe over and over again.
Ingredients
- 1 rack of spare ribs (8-10 pounds) St. Louis-style work best, individually sliced into single ribs
- 1/2 cup of hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup of soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons of honey
- 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon of 5 spice powder
- 5 tablespoons of ketchup
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of red food coloring
- 2 scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients into medium bowl. Divide the ribs into 2 zipper bags and empty half of the bowl or marinade into each of them. Save a little bit of marinade for later. Either marinate the ribs overnight in the refrigerator or for 4-6 hours. The longer the ribs marinate the better.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a roasting pan lined with heavy duty foil for easy cleanup. You can roast right on the foil but brush a little vegetable oil on the foil. Otherwise, if you have a roasting rack to place on top of the pan, you can add about 2 cups of water to the pan so there is about a half inch of water and place the spare ribs rib side up on the rack into the preheated oven.
- Roast for 30 minutes covered with a tent of aluminum foil. Flip the ribs over and then roast for another 45-60 minutes, uncovered, watching and turning as necessary for even cooking. If you’re using a roasting pan, replace the water as necessary if it dries up. Finish them under the broiler for 5-10 minutes so the ends are crispy. You can and should baste the ribs about 2-3 times with the reserved marinade while they are in the oven. Serve with sliced scallions on top.
