Chinese-Style Barbecued Spareribs

Thumb_sfs_asianstickyribs-14_276075

(from Bethany’s recipe box)

Serves 6

Full-size spareribs are fatty, plus they’re too large to fit on the grill. If you can’t find St. Louis-cut spareribs (which have been trimmed of the brisket bone and surrounding meat), substitute baby back ribs and begin to check for doneness after 1 hour on the grill. Cover the edges of the ribs loosely with foil if they begin to burn while grilling.

Source: Cook's Illustrated

Categories: Meat

Ingredients

  • 2 racks pork spareribs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), preferably St. Louis-cut (see note)
  • 8 black tea bags (see below)
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup red currant jelly

Directions

  1. PREP RIBS AND TEA Following the photos below, remove membrane on underside of ribs. Cut rib racks in half. Cover tea bags with water in small bowl and soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze water from tea bags and tightly seal in foil packet. Cut vent holes in top of packet.

  2. STEAM RIBS Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk 1 cup ketchup, soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, sherry, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and cayenne in large bowl; reserve ½ cup for glaze. Arrange ribs, meaty side down, in large disposable roasting pan and pour remaining ketchup mixture over ribs. Cover pan tightly with foil and cook until fat has rendered and meat begins to pull away from bones, 2 to 2½ hours. Transfer ribs to large plate. Pour pan juices into fat separator. Let liquid settle and reserve 1 cup defatted pan juices.

  3. MAKE GLAZE Simmer reserved pan juices over medium-high heat until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in jelly, reserved ketchup mixture, and remaining ketchup and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, 10 to 12 minutes. Reserve one-third of glaze for serving.

  4. SMOKE RIBS Open bottom vent on grill. Light about 100 coals; when -covered with fine gray ash, carefully pile on 1 side of grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered, with lid vent open halfway, until tea begins to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until tea begins to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and shut other burner[s] off.) Scrape and oil cooking grate. Arrange ribs, meaty side down, on cool side of grill and cook, covered, until ribs are smoky and edges begin to char, about 30 minutes.

  5. GLAZE RIBS Brush ribs with glaze, flip, rotate, and brush again. Cover and barbecue, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes, until ribs are fully tender and glaze is browned and sticky, 1 to 1½ hours. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Serve with reserved glaze.

  6. MAKE AHEAD Ribs and glaze can be prepared through step 3 up to 2 days in advance. Once the ribs are cool, wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate. Transfer glaze to microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate. Before proceeding with step 4, allow ribs to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Before proceeding with step 5, heat glaze in microwave on high power until warm, about 1 minute.

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