Chinese ribs with a sesame crust…one of my better inventions of late. Baby back pork ribs are always a treat, no matter how they’re prepared, but when coupled with savory Asian flavors, they make a delicious, winning dish to have with cold drink, or some stir-fried baby bok choy or garlicky broccoli as a side dish.
The Chinese flavors that come out in this baby back ribs recipe are the red fermented bean curd and five spice powder. When combined, these ingredients produce a unique and immediately addictive flavor not known by many western palates.
Translation: People, give this recipe a try, and crack open your favorite cold beer to go with it!
The unique flavor of these baby back ribs is similar to one of the first Chinese pork ribs recipes we posted on the blog (these fried spareribs), but it’s a healthier, hassle-free oven-baked version. The original fried version was always the first dish to disappear at parties, and I suspect these baby back ribs will have the same effect. The addition of the sesame seeds and panko are designed to soak up the marinade and provide a luxuriously crispy coating. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 large piece fermented red bean curd (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds baby back ribs, cut into individual pieces (about 8-10 ribs)
- 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Cilantro or chopped scallions for garnish (Optional. There’s no obligation to get fancy.)
In a large bowl, mix the fermented bean paste, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, five spice powder, garlic powder, sugar, and soy sauce until combined. Toss in the ribs until they’re well coated and refrigerate overnight (if you’re scrambling for time, 2 hours will also suffice).
When you’re ready to cook the ribs, preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and line a sheet pan with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up. Give the ribs another toss in the marinade.
Mix the panko, sesame seeds, and salt in separate bowl. Lightly dredge each rib in the panko mixture and place on the sheet pan. Sprinkle any of the remaining panko mixture on top of the ribs.
Place the ribs in the middle of the oven, close the oven door, and immediately reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip each rib and lightly cover them with a sheet of foil. Bake for another 30 minutes and serve, garnished with cilantro or scallions if desired.
- 1 large piece fermented red bean curd (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½ pounds baby back ribs, cut into individual pieces (about 8-10 ribs)
- 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Cilantro or chopped scallions for garnish (Optional. There's no obligation to get fancy.)
- In a large bowl, mix the fermented bean paste, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, five spice powder, garlic powder, sugar, and soy sauce until combined. Toss in the ribs until they're well coated and refrigerate overnight (if you're scrambling for time, 2 hours will also suffice).
- When you're ready to cook the ribs, preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and line a sheet pan with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up. Give the ribs another toss in the marinade.
- Mix the panko, sesame seeds, and salt in separate bowl. Lightly dredge each rib in the panko mixture and place on the sheet pan. Sprinkle any of the remaining panko mixture on top of the ribs.
- Place the ribs in the middle of the oven, close the oven door, and immediately reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip each rib and lightly cover them with a sheet of foil. Bake for another 30 minutes and serve, garnished with cilantro or scallions if desired.
Emma says
I made this recipe exactly as written but we found the ribs too salty for our taste. This is my first experience with red bean curd and wonder if I should have rinsed the curd to remove the brine. The color of the finished dish did not have the red bronze look of your photos but the sesame panko oven roasted crust was excellent. I will be trying the recipe again and trying to reduce the salt. We also thought the dish might benefit from a bit more acid and/or a sweet note to round out the flavors. I might work on a dipping sauce that will complement the flavors. Thank you for a great oven roasted ribs technique.
Bill says
Hi Emma, Adding any of the liquid brine from the red bean curd will likely result in too much salt. Just use the bean curd itself or eliminate the salt and some of the soy sauce if you prefer to use the brine. Keep in mind that refined salt is much saltier that coarse sea salt or kosher salt, so that may have been a cause as well. As for the color, marinating overnight with the spices, tofu and especially the Shaoxing wine will cure the ribs slightly and give it a more reddish tone. High roasting temperatures also add color, so pay attention to all of these factors. Happy cooking!
Pat says
Great Great Ribs, Served 4 kg today for Canada Day. I cooked them on a Big Green Egg Barbeque with heat diffuser. The ribs were cut into 3 rib sections to make them easier to manage, no foil, cooked them for about 30 minutes at 350 F, then let the temperature drop to 225/250 and cooked them until they were ready. The panko sesame crust was perfect, ribs were juicy. Thanks again
Bill says
Hi Pat, Sounds like a good meal. Happy Canada day to you!
Boyan says
This recipe is definitely going in my cookbook. Thank you
Bill says
Hi Boyan, you’re welcome and glad to see our recipe made it into your personal cookbook!
Jacquie says
We made these ribs last night and I have to say we will definitely be making them again! I doubled the pano sesame mixture and put it in a bag to make coating the ribs easier. I also baked them on a rack set inside the sheet pan. I cooked them about 20 minutes longer to make them more tender. After the time was up I removed the foil and turned up the heat 400 for 5 more minutes just to get them nice and crispy. So tender and delicious ! Thanks for such an innovative recipe! I served them with your yu chop recipe and rice. Made smashed cucumber salad to finish the plate. Truly memorable! I look forward more of your recipes :)
Bill says
Hi Jacquie, what a great meal story. Thanks for sharing your cooking experience!