Sticky Chinese Pork Spare Ribs

Ingredients

▢2 kg / 4 lbs meaty pork ribs , cut into single rib pieces

▢1 tsp sesame oil

▢2 tbsp lemon juice

▢2 tbsp shao xing wine

▢4 tbsp soy sauce

▢4 tbsp brown sugar or honey

▢4 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup

▢2 tbsp hoisin sauce

▢2 tbsp oyster sauce

▢2 tbsp sambal oelek

▢6 cloves garlic , finely chopped

▢2 tbsp grated ginger

▢1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

▢1 tsp salt

▢Sesame seeds , coriander, shallots and red chilli to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Mix marinade ingredients together in a bowl or freezer bag. Add the ribs and marinate for at least an hour, or overnight if possible. You can freeze the marinaded meat if you wish.

Before cooking, let the ribs come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F.

Pour the ribs and all the marinade into a baking dish large enough so the ribs are in a single layer, but not so large that they are too spread out.

Add water up to about 1/3 of the way up the ribs. 6 Cover tightly with foil and place in oven to cook for approximately 1.5 hours.

Take out of the oven, remove the foil and touch the ribs – they should be quite tender, but not falling off the bone. The marinade in the baking dish should still be quite watery.

Turn the ribs over, then return the baking dish to the oven without the foil. After 20 minutes, take the ribs out – they should be nicely browned and starting to char. Turn the ribs, then spoon the marinade over, then return to the oven for another 10 to 20 minutes.

The ribs are done when they are falling off the bone, sticky and glossy and the marinade has reduced down to a thick sauce coating the ribs.

Rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander, sesame seeds, julienned shallots and sliced fresh red chilli.