I learned this Chinese Roasted Ribs recipe from my father, who worked as a cook. In their heyday in the 1970s, people would pile in from New York City to the summer resorts in the Catskills, where we lived. People call it the Borscht Belt now, but it was just home to me.
My father started out working as a roast cook in these resorts. He then moved on to become the head chef at a local Holiday inn in Liberty, NY, where they served continental and Chinese food. We’d hand out a menu with two sections, where the 12 oz. Junior Steak, Long Island Duckling, Cordon Bleu, and Chicken Marsala were listed alongside the shrimp with lobster sauce and Moo Goo Gai Pan.
Soon, word got around about the Holiday Inn’s restaurant, and the mostly Jewish guests vacationing at the Grossinger Resort about a mile away would come to take a break from Kosher food. This is where I made my first foray into the restaurant world. I worked there for 4 summers as a bus boy clearing and setting tables and kitchen man making Caesar salads, chopping vegetables, boiling lobsters and making shrimp toast.
I quickly learned that a Chinese Chef is only as good as his BBQ ribs. How delicious, or not, your Chinese roasted ribs were, was one of the standards of measurement in those days for being an accomplished Chinese (take-out-style Chinese, anyway) chef. Only the head chef could or was allowed to make the BBQ sauce and it was a well-guarded secret.
I have fond memories visiting my father in that kitchen when I was younger and still not old enough to work. I would sneak to the back of the kitchen and use my handy pocketknife to cut off a sliver of meat just as it came out of the oven. It was totally worth the risk of being scolded for nicking food! My father would later use this recipe at the take-out restaurant he opened in New Jersey.
We used to make this Chinese roasted ribs sauce in a 5-gallon bucket at a time, but I have scaled it down to make enough for 2 racks of ribs. Here’s how you make it!
Recipe Instructions
Start by making the BBQ sauce. This recipe makes enough for 2 large racks of ribs. You can also just make 1 rack, and then store half of the sauce in an airtight container for another time.
Combine the minced garlic, minced pineapple, ground star anise, salt, sugar, honey, oil, hoisin sauce, ground bean sauce, tomato puree/paste, ketchup, five spice powder, orange juice, white pepper, and paprika.
Spread half the sauce on a rack of ribs and marinate overnight in a plastic bag. Store the leftover sauce for later use.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a roasting pan or sheet pan lined with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up.
Add about 2 cups of water to the pan so there is about a half inch of water.
This keeps the ribs moist and catches the drippings. Place a roasting rack on top of the pan and place your ribs on the rack (meaty side of the rib up) and place in your preheated oven.
Slow roast the ribs for about 30 minutes and turn it and continue roasting for another 60 minutes.
You will need less time if using baby back ribs since they are smaller, more tender and hence, easier to cook. Add water to the roasting pan as the water dries up during the roasting process.
If the ribs look a bit pale, on the end, you can finish them with a few minutes under the broiler.
They’re not usually cooked for as long as this in restaurants. But this is a home recipe, so we can afford to take more time. Plus, I personally like the combination of the Chinese BBQ flavor with the falling-off-the-bone feeling of Southern BBQ.
Enjoy this one and try to serve these Chinese roasted ribs right out of the oven for maximum delight!
Takeout-Style Chinese Roasted ribs
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon canned pineapple (minced)
- 1 star anise (ground in a mortar and pestle)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground bean sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- 5 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ tablespoon five spice powder
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 large rack ribs (or 2 racks baby back ribs; about 1 kg or 2 1/4 pounds)
Instructions
- Spread half the sauce on each rack of ribs and marinate overnight. Store leftover sauce for later use.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and prepare a roasting pan lined with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up. Add about 2 cups of water to the pan so there is about a half inch of water. This keeps the ribs moist and catches the drippings. Place a roasting rack on top of the pan and place your ribs on the rack (rib side up).
- Slow roast the ribs for about 30 minutes. Flip them over and continue roasting for another 60 minutes. You will need less time if using baby back ribs since they are smaller and more tender. Add water to the roasting pan as the water dries up during the roasting process. If the ribs look like they need a bit more color, you can finish them with a few minutes under the broiler.
what is rib side up? what kind of ground bean sauce
Hi Donald, Thanks for your question! I corrected the recipe, which should say: meaty side of the rib up! As for the ground bean sauce, we use the Koon Chung brand, which has been around for years. Click on the ground bean sauce link in the ingredients list in the post, and it will take you to our ingredients page where you can see a picture of the jar of ground bean sauce. Happy cooking!
Any thoughts on using a pressure cooker? I usually make ribs by 30 min in the pressure cooker and then some lee kum kee char siu sauce and the over to crisp it. Sounds like you could do this recipe the same way — marinating overnight, then 30 min in the pressure cooker, then the rest of the sauce and some time in the oven.
Hi Jack, I bet that would work although I have never tried it!
love this recipe!
I was thinking of cooking the ribs in the slow cooker…can you please tell me how I can adjust the recipe?
Thank u!
Hi Cynthia, I have never tried cooking ribs like these in a slow cooker, so I don’t have any good advice for you, but please share your results if you have any success!
Can this be done with sous vide?
Hi Michael, I have never tried the sous vide method, but I imagine the sauce will get worked into the ribs nicely. Some time under the broiler afterward for browning and I bet they would be superb. Let us know how it turns out if you try it.
Hi Bill & Michael, We tested doing sous vide vs my traditional method 10 years ago. Here’s the story. I’ve evolved a marinade and method since watching Joyce Chen doing her ribs on her PBS show in the 60’s. When we were still in California, we would do a Jim’s birthday / 4th of July rib feast – usually 12 sides of ribs. My marinade is very similar to Bill’s but a bit spicier. I was also going for the “falling-off-the-bone” slow cooked style. Early on I tried over water on a rack or, even, hooks. In the 90’s I discovered turkey roasting bags. Now I seal a couple of well-marinated sides in the bag with a splash of water and cook at 275F for 3-4 hours. (Since it’s a slow oven, do not cut slits in the bag as Reynolds recommends.) Cook all the sides a day or two before. Finish off on the Weber. Sous vide? One summer my son challenged the old man. Sous vide was just getting popular with foodies. My wife’s verdict? Simon’s were better fresh off the Weber, but mine made better left-overs. The turkey bag method rendered more of the fat.
Hi Jim, thanks for sharing the interesting results!
I made this recipe for Sunday dinner. It is wonderful. Thank you!!
Hi Alicia, We’re always happy to hear someone enjoying one of our classic Chinese takeout recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Is there a reason on your end why I am having printing your recipes. I love, love, love the recipes I
have tried but it’s work printing the ones with lots of ingredients by hand.
Hi Fran, I am not sure why the printing is not working for you. Try clearing your cache in your browser settings and use Chrome or Safari. Hope that works for you!
Hey guys, just a quick note on ingredients. In the recipe it asks for one teaspoon of fresh ground white pepper.. In the printable version(which I used) it just states fresh ground pepper…. so I used what was in the pepper grinder which was black peppercorns. I don’t think it will affect the taste too much but thought I would let you know.
Love the website and recipes.
Just put the ribs in the oven….cant wait
Hi Stephen, fresh ground white pepper is what the recipe calls for. It’s used often in Chinese cooking, but the black pepper should be interesting. Hope you enjoy these ribs!
Is it possible to use canned pineapple?
Hi Marilyn, Canned pineapple with work just fine for the sauce!
Love all the photos on your blog. Would you rocommend using slow cooker?
Hi Francine, Sorry I missed your comment! I wouldn’t recommend using a slow cooker for this recipe since it is meant for roasting/baking in the oven.
Hi thank you for this recipe. Can I use this on chicken as well?
Hi Oni, I have not tried this sauce with chicken but I bet it will work nicely. Remember to reduce the cooking time to 45 minutes to 1 hour for chicken. Good luck and let us know how it comes out if you try it!