Chinese Barbecued Spareribs
SERVES 4 to 6 TIME 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high Slow cooker size 5 to 7 quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For fall-off-the-bone-tender barbecued pork spareribs with grilled flavor, we started by covering the ribs with a dry spice rub. To fit two racks of spareribs into the slow cooker, we cut them in half and stood the racks upright around the slow cooker’s perimeter, overlapping them slightly. We found that leaving the membrane coating the underside of the ribs attached helped hold the racks together as they cooked. Once the ribs were fully tender, we transferred them to a wire rack set in a baking sheet, brushed them with a simple pantry barbecue sauce, and broiled them to develop a lightly charred exterior.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon 5 spice powder
Salt and pepper
2 (2½- to 3-pound) racks St. Louis–style spareribs, trimmed, halved
⅓ cup hoisin sauce
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
BEFORE YOU BEGIN Chinese Barbecued Spareribs
Avoid buying ribs labeled “spareribs”; their large size and irregular shape make them unwieldy in a slow cooker. St. Louis–style spareribs are smaller and more uniform in size. You can substitute baby back ribs here; reduce the cooking time to 4 to 5 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe.
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine five-spice powder, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Pat ribs dry with paper towels; rub with spice mixture.
Arrange ribs upright in slow cooker, with thick ends pointing down and meaty sides against wall (ribs will overlap). Cover and cook until ribs are just tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet; coat with vegetable oil spray. Transfer ribs meaty side up to prepared rack; let sit until surface is dry, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn!
Whisk hoisin, honey, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, sherry, oil, ginger, and garlic together in bowl until sugar is dissolved. Brush ribs with half of sauce; broil until sauce is bubbling and beginning to char, about 5 minutes. Brush ribs with remaining sauce, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut ribs in between bones to separate. Serve.
