Hometown bar-b-que Chinese sticky ribs

Instead of a Memphis-style glaze, hit your ribs up with this Chinese-inspired glaze instead. It works well on grilled boneless pork chops or chicken thighs as well.

Credit: Ken Goodman

• serves

  6-8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  4 hours

Ingredients

• 2 racks (1.3 to 1.8 kg each) pork loin back ribs, membranes removed
• 2 tbsp (24 g) kosher salt
• 1 tbsp (6 g) ground black pepper
• 2 cups (500 g) Sticky Chinese Barbecue Sauce (see page TK)
• 2 green onions, julienned
• 1 tbsp (8 g) white sesame seeds

Sticky Chinese barbecue sauce

• 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstarch
• 3 tbsps (45 ml) water
• 2 ¼ cups (510 g) brown sugar
• 2 ¼ cups (535 ml) low sodium tamari
• ¾ cup (175 ml) water
• ½ cup (50 g) green onions, diced
• 16 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp (45 g) sambal oelek (red chilli paste)
• 2 tbsp (60 g) gochujang (red pepper paste)
• 1 ½ tbsp (25 ml) toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp (8 g) grated ginger
• 1 ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp fish sauce

Instructions

Preheat your smoker for 140°C using a fruit wood such as apple or cherry. Sprinkle the ribs lightly with kosher salt and pepper. Place the ribs on the smoker meat side up. Smoke for 2 hours. Brush the ribs with the Sticky Chinese Barbecue Sauce and flip. Brush the bone side of the ribs with the sauce. Smoke for 1 hour. Open the smoker and brush the bone side again and then flip and brush the meat side. Cook for 30 minutes longer and then evaluate for doneness: the ribs should just start to break apart when lifted in the center with a pair of tongs. If they don’t, continue smoking for another 30 minutes.

To make the sauce, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 3 tbsp (45 ml) of water to make a slurry; set aside. Add the remaining ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in the slurry. Stir the sauce until thickened, about 10 minutes. 

Remove the ribs from the smoker and brush sauce on both sides. Flip onto a cutting board meat side down and slice between the bones. Pile the ribs on a platter. Drizzle with some more sauce and sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds on top.

Sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to a month. Ribs can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe from Pitmaster - Recipes, Techniques & Barbecue Wisdom by Andy Husbands and Chris Hart. Photography by Ken Goodman. RRP $29.99 (Murdoch Books)

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.