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Hong Kong ribs are great done outdoors but are just as good all year round.
Hong Kong Ribs: A Real Treat
These Hong Kong-style ribs are a real treat for anyone who eats them. These ribs are so good I guess you think they’re hard to make. Nope, they’re very easy. The hardest part is waiting for them to finish marinating.
I bet you have most of the ingredients on hand too. The only thing you may have to buy is five spice powder and hoisin sauce. And the hoisin sauce is a great investment because you can use it in so many things such as Hoisin Pot Roast.
Long Marinating Equals Great Taste
Most recipes call for marinating anything (with the exception of shellfish) from 4-12 hours.
Personally, I’ve never tasted anything marinated for the minimum time that tastes really good. It always seems to lack a full flavor. The only exception I’ve experienced is when I’ve used my vacuum sealer’s marinating pan. However, that device is so small that it’s not practical for ribs.
These ribs require a long marinating time to develop their great flavor. Overnight is the minimum time for them to develop the flavor. Marinating for 12 hours is even better.
Cooking Methods
The ribs finish off the same way regardless of the initial cooking method.
Leave the ribs in slabs. Don’t cut them into individual ribs until they’ve finished cooking. They are much easier to handle that way.
Now you can do the initial cooking in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, oven or by indirect heat over an outside grill.
When it comes to the slow cooker, I’m giving an approximate time because all slow cookers cook differently. The approximate time I give won’t produce “fall-off-the-bone” texture either.
For the Instant Pot, that time will result in fully cooked ribs but they will still have body–again not “fall-off-the-bone.”
Bear in mind that for the above methods, the times are approximate. You can, of course, cook them longer, but if they’re overcooked, they can’t be saved.
Individual tastes vary for this kind of stuff so cook them the way you want them. But keep in mind they will be difficult to finish off either on the grill or under the broiler if they’re falling apart.
The Recipe
Hong Kong Ribs
Ingredients
- 5 lbs pork baby back ribs about 2 racks
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Chinese wine or dry sherry
- 2 tbs hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp red food coloring Optional
- pinch Chinese five-spice powder
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp hoisin sauce
Instructions
- Mix all marinade ingredients in a small bowl, combining well.
- Place ribs (you may cut racks in half if you don't have huge bags, but don't cut into individual ribs--you do that after the final cooking) in a large zipper freezer bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag and turn a few times to coat the ribs. Place bag(s) in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove ribs from the bag and drain well. For slow cooker and Instant Pot cook methods, reserve the marinade.
- Ribs may be cooked in several ways. Slow cooker--add a cup of marinade to the crock along with the ribs and cook on low for approximately 5-6 hours. For Instant Pot, place the ribs in the pot along with a cup of marinade then cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Release pressure immediately. For the oven, place ribs on rack and bake at 350F/180C for 90 minutes. For indirect grilling, place ribs on the unlit side of the grill and roast for 2 hours.
- To finish--mix glaze ingredients and brush over the rib racks. Grill over direct heat until glaze is bubbling. If doing indoors, place ribs under the broiler and broil until the glaze bubbles.
