Recipe Ingredient
- 3 pounds (1.5 kg) baby-back ribs
- 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) bottled hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup (60 mil) bottled Chinese plum sauce
- 1 cup (250 ml) apple cider or apple juice
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced pickled ginger
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Rub the ribs all over with the five-spice powder and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin and plum sauces and then brush them evenly over the ribs. Cut the ribs into sections of 3 to 5 ribs.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180ºC). Oil 1 or 2 roasting pans large enough to hold the ribs in a single layer. Put the ribs in the pans and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the ribs until the meat is tender enough to be pierced easily with a fork, about 1 hour, taking care to avoid the steam when you uncover the pans.
- Carefully pour off the liquid from the roasting pans into a heatproof bowl. With a shallow spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface. Pour the remaining liquid into a large pot and add the cider or juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, and honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces to a thick, syrupy consistency, about 15 minutes.
- Cut up the ribs into individual pieces and put them in the pot of sauce. Re-warm them, turning them in the sauce with tongs to coat them evenly. Transfer the ribs to a serving platter, passing any extra sauce on the side.
