Chinese BBQ Ribs
Recipe for Chinese bbq ribs
Makes 6 ribs
Ingredients part 1:
Beef spare ribs (6 large or more if they are smaller)
1 cinnamon stick
10 star anise
10 cloves
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 teaspoons 5 spice
50g light brown sugar
50g dark brown sugar
1/2 white onion
3 cloves of garlic crushed with a knife
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon red bean chilli sauce
50g tomato paste
3tbs soy sauce
Water to cover
Ingredients part 2:
2 teaspoons cornflour
5 tablespoons warm water
salt to taste (around 1 teaspoon)
Method
1) Put all the ingredients for part one in a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn down the heat to a simmer. Let simmer with the lid off for for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until the meat is starting to pull back from the bone but not falling off.
2) Remove the meat with tongs and place in a bowl.
3)Turn the heat in the pot to high and reduce the cooking liquid for 30 minutes.
4)Pass the liquid through a sieve and pour into a clean high sided sauté pan (with a large surface area). If there is a lot of liquid oil/fat at the surface remove as much as you can easily with a spoon. It is fine to have some fat on the surface so don’t worry too much about trying to remove it.
5) Boil the liquid for a further 30 minutes or until it become thickened slightly. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste (it will need around a teaspoon).
6) Once you are happy with the seasoning dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornflour into 5 tablespoons of warm water. Add this mixture to the sauce. Boil and stir until until you achieve a nice thick sauce.
7) Heat plenty of sunflower oil in a large saucepan until 180 degrees (test the temperature by dipping the end of a rib in. It should sizzle with a rapid flurry of bubbles).
8) Deep fry the ribs in batches of 2 for around 1.5 minutes or until a deep brown colour is achieved. Remove the ribs from the oil and pat dry.
Serve the ribs with the sauce on top or on the side.
