Have you ever had sticky ribs from your favorite Chinese takeout or local restaurant?  While I’m a purist most times about BBQ, I have to admit my latest creation for oven ribs is near the top of my all-time favorites.  From the citrusy marinade to the rich tangy sauce, there’s enough going on to forget that these never touched a grill or smoker!

 

STICKY CHINESE RIBS

Ingredients

• 3-4 Lbs. Rack of Baby Back Ribs

Marinade

• 6-8 Slices Fresh Ginger
• 2-3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
• 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbs. Canola Oil
• 1 Tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil

 

Sticky Sauce

• 3 Tbs. Light Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbs. Hoisin Sauce
• 1 Tbs. Ketchup
• 1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tsp. Sriracha
• 1 Tsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder

Instructions

• Remove silver skin from the back side of ribs and cut rack in half.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients.
• Place ribs in a gallon zipper bag and pour marinade over them.  Remove as much air as possible and seal.
• Marinate for 2-6 hours, turning occasionally to ensure marinade penetrates all of the meat.

To Cook

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Remove ribs from marinate and shake off excess liquid.  Place in a glass 13×9 baking dish.
• Add a half cup water, cover tightly with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours.
• With 20 minutes left of cooking time, place all of the sticky sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat.  Stir frequently and cook for 15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
• Remove ribs from oven.  Turn your oven’s broiler to low.
• Transfer ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet.  Spoon 1/2 half of sticky sauce over ribs and place under broiler for 3-4 minutes.
• Spoon the remaining sauce over the ribs and place back under the broiler for an additional 3-4 minutes.
• Remove ribs from oven, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

The sticky sauce and warm spices cut through the fat of the ribs while enhancing the flavor of the pork.  You’ll be amazed how much these remind you of versions you’ve had from restaurants – only it’s better!  I know we’ll use this sticky Chinese-inspired sauce on wings in the near future too – I think a little sliced scallion would be the perfect finish.  Give them a try and I guarantee you’ll want to make them for your friends and family during these NFL playoff weekends.  Dig in!