Sticky Asian Ribs

Sticky Asian Ribs
Adapted from Forever Summer

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 24-48 hours in fridge
Baking time: 1½ hours

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 slab of pork spare ribs, cut into individual ribs
Marinade:
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tb sp soy sauce
1 dried red chili, roughly crumbled
1” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp runny honey
1 star anise…do not omit this…It is truly the secret ingredient!
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp canola oil
4 green onions, roughly chopped
To cook:
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (*check the bottom of the post to see how to make your own. It’s easy and that way you don’t end up with a huge amount that will be flavorless unless you use it often)
3 tbsp runny honey
To serve:
Fresh chili peppers chopped (optional)…way to hot for me
Green onion, finely chopped
Fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large zip lock baggie and add the ribs. Massage the marinade into the ribs and place the bag in the fridge for one to two days. Allow them to come to room temperature before roasting them.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Place the marinade and the ribs in heavy oven-proof casserole. Cover tightly with foil and bake for one hour.

3. Uncover, sprinkle with half the five spice powder and honey. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or so, turning once and sprinkling the remaining homey and five spice powder so ribs will be sticky and well flavored all over.

To serve…arrange them on a platter and sprinkle with cilantro, green onions and chili peppers. Great as an appetizer or with rice, cauli-fried rice (with a sprinkle of sesame oil and soy sauce) and quick stir fry of Gingery Snowpeas

*Chinese Five Spice Powder
Equal amounts of the following:
Ground anise
Black peppercorns
Ground cinnamon
Ground cloves
Fennel seeds

Combine them all together in a clean coffee mill or pepper grinder or (mortar & pestle if you’re up for it) and grind until a fine powder is formed.