BARBECUED RIBS RECIPES

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, mince garlic and scallions. Add hoisin, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, rice wine or vodka, rice vinegar and five-spice powder. Process until well blended. Taste for sweetness; the mixture should be sweet like barbecue sauce, not candy. Adjust the taste with honey, soy sauce and vinegar.
• Set aside 1/3 cup marinade for basting. Transfer remaining marinade to a container or pan large enough to hold the ribs, or to large resealable plastic bags. Add ribs and turn until well coated. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days, turning occasionally in the marinade.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Set up a rimmed baking sheet (or two) with an oven-safe wire rack that fits inside, the kind you’d use for cooling cookies. Line the bottoms of the pans with foil or nonstick baking mats. Place the racks inside the pans and place the empty pans on the bottom rack of the oven. Pour in hot water until it comes about halfway up the sides of the pan. (Do not skip the water: The steam helps cook the meat to the right tenderness.)
• When the oven is hot, remove the ribs from the marinade and place on the racks, meaty side up. Bake without basting, 1 hour for baby back ribs, 2 hours for St. Louis style ribs. Check the water level occasionally to make sure it hasn’t cooked off.
• Remove ribs from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour off any water from the baking sheet and return the ribs to the racks. (Alternatively, you can finish the ribs on a medium-hot grill; see below.)
• Return ribs to the oven and roast (or grill), basting 2 or 3 times with reserved marinade, for 20 to 30 minutes (less time for baby backs, more for spareribs). Watch the ribs carefully to make sure that the edges don’t burn, and don’t baste them too close to the end; they should be dry and sticky, not wet on the surface.
• Use a big knife to cut between the bones, making sure that each rib has meat on both sides. Mound on a platter, sprinkle with scallions and cilantro, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the ribs: In a medium saucepan, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, molasses, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Put the ribs in a large, turkey-sized baking bag or sealable plastic bag. Support the bag in a 12-by-14-inch baking pan. Pour the marinade over the ribs and seal the bag. Marinate the ribs in the refrigerator for a few hours, turning the bag occasionally to thoroughly coat the meat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Drain and discard the marinade. Cut four slits in the top of the baking bag, if you are using one. Otherwise, remove the ribs, transfer them to the baking pan, and cover the pan with foil or a lid. Bake for 2 hours.
• For the barbecue sauce: While the ribs are baking, blend the ketchup, chili sauce, brown sugar, dry mustard and 1/3 cup water in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat.
• When the ribs are cooked and tender, remove them from the baking bag. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the ribs on both sides with the barbecue sauce and return them to the oven to bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes longer. Just before serving, throw the ribs under the broiler to give them a bit of a char.