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.