Char Siu Spareribs

Chinese Char Siu is perhaps one of the most iconic BBQ flavors from Cantonese cuisine. Sweet, savory, sticky and packed with umami. Those intense flavors pair incredibly well with slowly cooked spare ribs from the BBQ. This recipe by Siebe Grijpma from @bbqmoods is a fantastic Asian inspired alternative for your next sparerib session.

Summary

• Indirect cooking
• Dome temperature: 100 – 140 degrees Celsius
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Marinating: 1 night
• Cooking time: approximately 5 hours

Preparing the spareribs

I used two beautiful racks of BBQ spare ribs. Start by removing the membrane from the bone side of the ribs. This allows the flavors to penetrate better and makes the ribs more tender. For the marinade I used about three quarters of a jar of Lee Kum Kee Char Siu sauce together with half a packet of Lobo Roasted Red Pork seasoning mix. Mix everything thoroughly and generously coat the spareribs. Let the ribs marinate overnight in the refrigerator so all the flavors can fully develop.

The next day, remove the excess marinade from the meat. You do not need to clean them completely, but thick clumps of marinade can burn quickly during smoking and prevent the smoke flavor from penetrating the meat. 

BBQ preparation

Prepare your BBQ for indirect heat at approximately 100 degrees Celsius. Add a few apple wood chunks for a mild sweet smoke flavor that perfectly complements the Char Siu profile. For the glaze I used the remaining Char Siu sauce. I added a small splash of water, some extra Lobo seasoning mix and a generous spoonful of honey. Heat briefly until everything is well combined and your glaze sauce is ready.

Cooking the spareribs

Place the spareribs indirectly on the BBQ at approximately 100 degrees Celsius. Let them slowly cook and absorb smoke for about 3 hours.

After this first stage, tightly wrap the ribs in double layers of aluminum foil. Place them back on the BBQ and raise the temperature to approximately 120 degrees Celsius. Let the ribs steam in the foil for another 1.5 hours until beautifully tender. Then carefully remove the ribs from the foil and place them back indirectly on the BBQ. Increase the temperature to approximately 140 degrees Celsius so the exterior can dry, caramelize and become sticky. During this final stage, brush the ribs twice with the glaze sauce. Over the course of about 30 minutes the spareribs will build up a delicious sticky Char Siu lacquer.

Serving Char Siu spareribs

I served these Chinese Char Siu spareribs with a fresh cucumber salad. The fresh acidity and crunch of the cucumber pair perfectly with the sweet sticky ribs.

ENJOY!
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