Barbecued pork spareribs
Instructions:
- Look for spareribs that are nice and lean, sometimes called ‘American style’. This is a great dish for barbecues, since picking them up with the fingers is the best way to enjoy them.
- 1.5 kg (3 lb) pork spareribs;
- 2 cloves garlic;
- 1 teaspoon salt;
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger;
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce;
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce;
- 1 tablespoon honey;
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry;
- ½ teaspoon five-spice powder.
- Cut the rack of bones into lengths of 4 bones each or, if you have a friendly butcher, ask him or her to do this for you. With a sharp knife, cut between the bones but do not separate them. This enables the marinade to coat more surfaces than if the bones were joined together.
- Crush the garlic with the salt to form a smooth puree. Mix with the ginger and all the other ingredients, and brush over the spareribs and between them. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook at a moderate distance from the heat source over a gas or coal-fired barbecue, until the ribs are golden brown and touched with dark spots here and there.
- Or, preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Place a rack in a roasting pan (or across the top of the pan) and pour some hot water into the pan so drips from the pork don’t burn. Water should not touch the rack. Place the marinated spareribs on the rack and cook in the hot oven for 20 minutes, then turn ribs over using tongs. Reduce the heat to 180 C (350 F), and cook for a further 25-30 minutes or until the spareribs are browned and glazed. Allow extra cooking time if necessary.