CHINESE BARBECUE 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:

• Create cuts between the bones and along the thick side of the ribs so that the meat takes on the flavors better and that it cooks faster.
• Rub garlic salt onto the ribs. Make sure to cover all surfaces on both sides. Pay special attention to the slits that you made earlier.
• In a medium bowl, mix sugar, salt, white pepper, ketchup, cooking wine, five-spice powder, and red food coloring (which is optional). Set aside for the next step.
• Place ribs in a tray lined with a plastic sheet and spread the marinade thinly onto both sides of the ribs. Wrap ribs with the plastic sheet when finished.
• For the glaze, you can use maltose or honey. Brush it over the spare ribs and they'll glisten and taste great.
• Remove ribs from the refrigerator and allow them to rest for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• After 30-35 minutes of baking, remove the ribs and brush the glaze of choice onto them.
• Once the ribs have been baking for about 45 minutes in total, take it out and let it rest for 10 minutes.