Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 4–6
Ribs
2 slabs baby back ribs
Chinese five-spice powder (or see recipe below)
Sauce
½ tablespoon vegetable oil
½ shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, grated
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1½ teaspoon Sriracha
2 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced, for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 F and place rack in middle of oven. Place ribs in a large shallow roasting pan lined with foil. Season ribs on both sides with Chinese five-spice powder. Cover roasting pan tightly with foil. If possible, allow ribs to marinate in refrigerator overnight.
Make sauce while the ribs are cooking for 2 hours. In a medium pan over medium-low heat, add oil. When oil is hot, add shallots and saute until translucent, about 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Add soy sauce and vinegar, and using a whisk, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add hoisin and ketchup and continue whisking until well incorporated. Simmer for about 2 minutes and stir in honey, preserves and brown sugar. Simmer an additional 2 minutes. Add in ginger and continue whisking, keeping to a simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk in Sriracha and let simmer (reduce heat if necessary) for 8–10 minutes until slightly thick. Remove from heat; reserve ¼ cup of sauce in a small bowl.
After the ribs have been cooking for 2 hours, increase oven temperature to 400 F. Discard top foil. Pour off pan juices and return ribs to oven. Turn ribs meat-side down and baste with sauce; continue to cook for 30 minutes. Turn ribs over and baste with sauce again and cook another 30 minutes. Continue turning and basting with sauce every 15 minutes until temperature on an instant-read thermometer is 165 F. Remove from oven and tent ribs with foil until ready to serve. Using a sharp knife, slice ribs between the bones and place on a platter. Drizzle with reserved sauce. Garnish with scallions or cilantro.
Five-spice powder
If you prefer not to buy five-spice powder, make your own. If you don’t have these ingredients, five-spice powder is readily available in most supermarkets in the spice or international-food section.
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
___
Related stories
Stir-fry secrets — No wok? No problem. Learn how to make a quick Asian stir-fry at home with a hot skillet, some advance prep and Chef Belinda’s tips in this how-to video.
Takeout made easy — Who says your takeout favorites have to come in a disposable container, or from a restaurant at all? Give the delivery guy the night off. Get the whole family involved in making these classic dishes from scratch.