Takeout-Style Chinese Spare Ribs
This recipe delivers authentic takeout-style Chinese spare ribs, focusing on long marination for deep flavor and a two-stage grilling process. The ribs are slow-cooked on indirect heat until exceptionally tender, then finished with a quick char over direct heat and a honey drizzle for a perfectly caramelized, sticky, and flavorful exterior. It's an intermediate recipe yielding tender, flavorful pork ribs reminiscent of your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Equipment
- 1 Metal Non-Reactive Bowl For mixing the marinade
- 1 Large Zip-Top Bag For marinating the ribs
- 1 Grill Charcoal or gas, capable of two-zone cooking
- 1 Wire Rack To elevate ribs on the grill for even cooking
- 1 Basting Brush For applying marinade
Ingredients
Main
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey plus a bit extra to finish
- 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring
- 2 racks spare ribs 8 to 10 pounds, St. Louis-style work best, individually sliced into single ribs
Instructions
- Mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, five-spice powder, garlic, ginger and food coloring in a metal, non-reactive bowl. Pour the marinade into a large zip-top bag, reserving 1/2 cup on the side for basting later. Add the ribs to the bag and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 3 hours, though longer is better and overnight is ideal.
- Heat a charcoal or gas grill to 275 degrees F for direct and indirect grilling.
- Remove the ribs from the marinade (discard the marinade) and place onto a wire rack. Place the rack directly on the cooler side of the grill. Cook until the meat is very tender, basting with the reserved marinade 3 times during the cooking process, 2 to 3 hours.
- Drizzle the ribs with honey, move them to the direct heat side and quickly char each rib to caramelize.
Notes
For optimal flavor penetration, marinate the ribs for at least overnight. Ensure you use a non-reactive bowl for mixing the marinade to prevent metallic off-flavors. When preparing the ribs, consider removing the silver skin membrane from the bone side if it hasn't been done by your butcher; this allows for better seasoning absorption and a more tender bite. The low and slow cooking on indirect heat is crucial for achieving fall-off-the-bone tenderness, while the final direct charring provides that desirable caramelized, slightly crispy exterior characteristic of takeout ribs. Always discard any marinade that has come into contact with raw meat, using only the reserved fresh marinade for basting to maintain food safety. The red food coloring is primarily for visual authenticity, mimicking the vibrant color often seen in commercial Chinese BBQ.