Hawaiian Spare Ribs

Hawaiian Spare Ribs

I was fascinated, awestruck and spellbound... yes I'm giving sooo many attributes because this dish is worth every single word of praise. This Spare Ribs dish though originates in Hawaii, but it is totally influenced by the Chinese immigrants in Hawaii. The ingredients used in this dish are very Asian and the taste is absolutely unique. I first tasted this dish at a Hawaiian restaurant  in New York and managed to get the recipe from the chef. Then every time I cooked this dish, the diners ended up licking their fingers. So be ready to cook this lip smacking, finger licking dish for your loved ones.

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Grilling time        : 1 hour, with a basting at Half an hour
Resting time       :  15 minutes
Difficulty             :  Easy
Serves                 :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

1 Kilo Spareribs

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Red Bean Curd Sauce (available at all speciality / Asian food stores) 

1/4 cup Honey

1/2 teaspoon Five Spice powder (a powder made of 5 spices, used widely in Chinese cooking) (see Note) 

1 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Sherry or Whiskey

1 teaspoon Red Food Colouring

1 clove Garlic, crushed

 

Method :

 1) Prepare a marinade by combining all of the ingredients except the spareribs themselves.

 2) Marinate the spareribs 12-24 hours in the fridge, well covered, turning the ribs over several times.

 3) About an hour before serving, pre heat your oven to 300 degree Fahrenheit.

 4) Place the ribs on a wire rack and bake them for half an hour. Keep the marinade aside.

 5) After a half hour, turn and baste the spareribs with the marinade.

 6) Continue cooking for about another half hour or until spareribs reach an internal temperature of 155°F to 160°F. Or pass the fork test, i.e. it breaks easily with a fork.

 7) Take out the ribs. cover with a foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.

 8) Serve hot with plenty of green salad and a slices of fresh/canned pineapples.


Note : from Wikipedia

The formulae are based on the Chinese philosophy of balancing the yin and yang in food. There are many variants. The most common is bajiao (star anise), cloves, cinnamon, huajiao (Sichuan pepper) and ground fennel seeds. Instead of true cinnamon, "Chinese cinnamon" (also known as rougui, the ground bark of the cassia tree, a close relative of true cinnamon which is often sold as cinnamon), may be used. The spices need not be used in equal quantities. Spices are dry roasted and then powdered.