Ribs Recipes: Char Siu, Hoisin, Baked, Korean and More,

These ribs recipes are the ways I cook ribs at Casa Adora and on the road in Florie: pork ribs marinated overnight and roasted low and slow, sticky glazes of hoisin, honey and soy, a spicy Korean marinade, a wok-fried sweet and sour, campervan ribs on a two-ring hob, and lamb, goat and beef ribs from further afield. I write for a mostly UK audience, so these are ribs recipes UK cooks can follow with a rack from the butcher or the supermarket.

Ribs are one of the best-value cuts there is. Marta's store in the village sells sheets of pork ribs, and here in Jaén a sheet costs only a few euros a kilo. Almost all of these recipes work the same way: a marinade or glaze, a long slow cook until the meat is tender, and a hot finish to caramelise the sauce. Watch that last step, because the sugar catches quickly.

Jump to: Which Recipe? · Char Siu · Hoisin · Baked Honey and Soy · Korean Style · Sweet and Sour · Campervan Ribs · Lamb, Beef and Goat · Cooking Notes

Which Ribs Recipe Should I Cook?

Start with how much time you have and what flavours you fancy.

• Overnight marinade, then low and slow: Char Siu Style Pork Ribs, sweet, savoury and glossy.
• Simmer first, glaze, finish hot: Hoisin Pork Ribs with homemade hoisin and red pepper.
• Cheapest and easiest: Baked Pork Ribs with honey, soy and garlic.
• Spicy and ginger-heavy: Korean Style Pork Ribs, marinated and slow baked.
• In a wok, over salad: Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, for a hot summer night.
• One pan on a gas hob: Smoky Pork Ribs with Mustard Pan Sauce or One-Pan Beer-Braised Pork Ribs.
• Not pork: Kashmiri Kabargah (lamb), Ternera Ribs Stew (beef) or Rajasthani Goat Rib Curry.

Char Siu Pork Ribs

If you only cook one of these, make this one. Char Siu Style Pork Ribs are cut into single ribs and marinated overnight in hoisin, soy, honey, rice vinegar and five-spice, then roasted covered at 150°C for 1 hour 45 minutes and finished uncovered at 200°C until sticky and slightly charred. It is a simple pork ribs recipe with a very big payoff, and the ribs can be eaten straight from the tray.

Hoisin Pork Ribs

A different route to a similar glaze. Hoisin Pork Ribs are simmered first until tender, then coated in a dark glaze built from homemade hoisin sauce, balsamic, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper, and roasted at 220°C for ten minutes until caramelised.

Baked Pork Ribs with Honey and Soy

The one I have carried with me the longest. Baked Pork Ribs need ten minutes of preparation: drizzle with honey, soy and balsamic, tuck in garlic and chilli, then bake at 160°C for 90 minutes, turning now and then, before a final blast at 200°C. A sheet of ribs makes a supper for two for very little money.

Korean Style Pork Ribs

For a spicy shake-up. Korean Style Pork Ribs use a ginger-heavy marinade of soy, brown sugar, cayenne, garlic and blended onion. They bake at 160°C for two hours or more, then get a honey glaze made from the reserved marinade. A bit of burning and caramelisation is part of the charm.

Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

When it is too hot for the oven. Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs are cooked in a wok in a bold sauce of honey, soy, Worcestershire, Sichuan peppercorn and cayenne, then piled over a peppery rocket salad with crispy fried potato cubes.

Campervan Ribs on the Hob

No oven, no problem. Smoky Pork Ribs with Mustard Pan Sauce are marinated in smoked paprika and garlic, cooked gently under a lid on a gas hob, and finished with a black pepper and mustard sauce made in the same pan. One-Pan Beer-Braised Pork Ribs braise in dark ale with smoked paprika, honey and Dijon for an hour and a half to two hours. Both are cooked in Florie.

Lamb, Beef and Goat Ribs

Kashmiri Kabargah takes lamb or goat ribs through three stages: blanched, poached in spiced milk, then coated in spiced yoghurt and fried in ghee until crisp and golden. For beef, my Ternera Ribs Stew simmers ribs low and slow with tomato, pimentón and celery in one pot. And the Rajasthani Goat Rib Curry is the one to try if you like your ribs in a sauce.

How to Cook Pork Ribs: Notes from My Kitchen

• Remove the membrane. Slide a knife under the membrane on the back of the rack and pull it off in one piece. It takes thirty seconds and makes a real difference to the texture.
• Cut into single ribs. They absorb a marinade better, cook more evenly and give you more sticky edges.
• Marinate overnight if you can. At least four to six hours helps, and overnight in the fridge is better. A rub works too: my homemade 4-3-2-1 spice rub is a good place to start.
• Go low and slow. Between 150°C and 160°C, covered or turned regularly, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
• Finish hot, and watch them. A final ten to fifteen minutes at 180–220°C caramelises the glaze, but sugar catches fast. Stay in the kitchen.

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Footnote

These ribs recipes are part of my Pork Recipes collection, and the campervan ones also appear in my Campervan Cooking Recipes hub.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef