primeats Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Catering a surprise birthday party Saturday nite, they wanted Chinese spare ribs. After searching on the net for a recipe(and not wanting to have to go to our local favorite spot Tsing-Tao on Green Bay Road)I found this recipe from Joyce Chen,circa 1962. 1/3 C hoisin sauce 1/4 C soy sauce 3 T dry sherry(I used Merlot) 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 2 T sugar(I used less) 1/4 t Chinese five spice powder 1 slab St. Louis style spare ribs cut into individual ribs 1.whisk together ingredients in a large bowl(SS or glass). Add ribs,toss to coat with marinade, set aside at room temp for 1 hour Heat oven( KK) to 350, arrange a baking rack on top of a foil lined sheet-pan. Remove ribs and arrange on rack bone side down,place on center rack in oven, pour in enough water that it reaches halfway up the side of the pan,making sure that the water doesn't touch the meat. Bake ribs for 35 minutes, baste ribs with reserved marinade,flip and bast again. Bake for 35 minutes more(add more water to pan if it dries up. Raise heat to 450. flip and baste with remaining marinade. Continue baking ubntil ribs are glazed brown and tender, about 20 minutes more. Serve with Chinese mustard or duck sauce. OK...I used the KK, so I omitted the whole water and rack on a pan thing, I got the KK up to about 400 before I put the ribs on(only 'cause I was on the phone and let the temps run away) got the temp down to about 320 -350 and flipped the ribs every half hour and basted them a few times, and raised the temp to 450 to finish them off. Hopefully I'll have pics posted later...my office comp doesn't have a card reader! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted January 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 The ribs were a little more "caramelized " than I like. Forgot to remember that if you look at the Tel-True thermometer on the dome add about 25 degrees for the cooking surface.( Forgot to remember?) The sauce needed more sugar than I used,way more! And I would shoot for about 250 to 300 degrees and then ramp it up to 400. They were very tender, surprisingly so, and had a great texture profile, those that weren't charred that is. I don't think it helped that the cooker got up past 400 right off the bat. Oh well, live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 The sugar that was in it probably contributed to the charring. Although you say it needs more, the more sugar the more they'll char. They look good though. You knew that merlot is nothing like sherry, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted January 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Thanks Sanny, The sugar content does play a big role in the charring, but if you keep the flames from reaching the meat and keep the temps down, you'll have less of an issue. Yeah I know dry sherry ain't the same as merlot(it was a 'sparament). While the ribs yesterday turned out ok, today I made a few substitutions, instead of soy sauce and garlic, I subbed SoyVay Very/very Teriyaki sauce(same aprox measures as total liquid levels), added more sugar, and DRY SHERRY. lowered the hoisin sauce level to about half. We then used a vacuum tumbler to marinate about 50 lbs af individually cut spare ribs. put them in our smokehouse and cooked them for about 2 hours at 250. Result...very tender and just the right sweetness level...not as bitter as yesterday's. Tomorrow I will carmelize them on the KK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Judging by those pics - it's time for another trip to Chicago!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted January 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 It'll buy the first round when you get here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 It will more than likely happen in the next month Dave - no kidding! My business partner is in your neck of the woods and we missed our trip to downtown in November. Time to make up for it!! I'll keep you posted and I'll get that second round!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
