Chinese Style Spare Ribs

Years ago I had a friend who was a chef at a famous Chinese restaurant.  He even had a nationally syndicated cooking show.  One day when we were talking I asked how he made Chinese spare ribs.  He told me that he had a recipe for the restaurant but when he cooked them at home he had a MUCH easier recipe that his family loved.  This is it.  It's simple and good, and for St. Louis stye ribs.  If you are making baby back ribs they take a bit less time.

Ribs & Dry Rub
1 rack	St. Louis style pork ribs
1 tbl	Chinese five spice powder

Sauce
½ cup	soy sauce
½ cup	ketchup
½ cup	sugar

Condiments

sesame seeds

green onions, only the green parts, thinly sliced

Remove the silver skin from the ribs.  Sprinkle the five spice powder on all sides of the ribs and rub it in.  Cover the ribs and put them in the fridge for a half hour or as long as a day.

When you are ready to cook the ribs, stir the soy sauce, ketchup, and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.  Brush the sauce on all sides of the ribs and place the ribs bone side down on a rack placed on a tray, or use a broiling pan with its rack.  Fill the bottom of the pan or tray with at least ½" of water.  Do not let the water touch the ribs.  Don't cover them with foil or do anything else to the the ribs while they cook.  Keeping the rack of ribs whole or cut into just two slabs and using the water keeps the ribs from drying out.  Bake the ribs at 275° for 1 hour.

Take the ribs out, brush the sauce on the top, and turn the ribs meat side down and bone side up.  Baste the bone side with the sauce, and top the water off, making sure there is at least ½" of water in the pan.  Bake for another hour at 275°.

Take the ribs out, baste the bone side, and turn them bone side down and meat side up.  Baste the meat side with the sauce, and top the water off, making sure there is at least ½" in the pan.  Bake for another hour at 275°.

Now take the ribs out and turn the oven up to 375°.  While the oven heats, up baste the ribs one last time making sure you get sauce on all sides.  Put the ribs back on the rack bone side down, and make sure there is still water in the baking or broiling pan.  Slide everything back into the oven for 10 minutes.  Let the sauce caramelize, but watch to make sure it doesn't burn.  After 10 minutes, take the ribs out and serve.  You can sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions on to make everything look pretty if you want. 


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