When it comes to finger food, nothing really matches a lovely spare rib, slow cooked so you can suck the meat from the bone, crunchy with a spicy coating. This recipe is our version of the popular salt & chilli ribs from the takeaway, given the Spice Mountain touch by seasoning with Japanese Shichimi Togarishi. The recipe is quite time-consuming, involving the oven and the frying pan, although you don’t actually need to be doing anything for most of it so don’t worry. It will be well worth the effort, and your fellow diners will certainly appreciate it!

01.

Ingredients

1 rack pork spare ribs (try to choose one with plenty of meat to ensure maximum juiciness), cut into individual ribs
1 cup light soy sauce
2tbs rice wine (dry sherry works well if you don’t have rice wine)
3tbs honey
3tsp Spice Mountain 5 spice powder
2tsp garlic powder
2tsp ginger powder
1tsp chilli powder
6tsp Shichimi Togarashi
3tsp Himalayan pink salt
3tsp brown sugar

02.

Method

  • First make up the marinade – combine the soy sauce, the rice wine/sherry, the honey and the Five Spice powder. Add the ribs, giving the mixture a good stir to make sure the ribs are well coated, and then leave in the fridge for 24 hours. It is best not to reduce the marinade time, as the ribs are tenderising all the time they are in there. When it is time to cook the ribs, simply place them (with the marinade and a little extra water) in a casserole with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Place in an oven heated to 170d, then cook for 2/3 hours (if you have one, this stage can be done in a slow cooker). Meanwhile mix up the spices (chilli powder, ginger powder, garlic powder, Shichimi Togarishi, salt and brown sugar) for the coating. When the ribs are cooked, let them cool and remove from the casserole, shaking off any excess moisture.
  • Toss the ribs in the prepared spice mixture, getting them really well coated.
  • Heat some oil in a deep frying pan (2in of oil is good), and carefully fry the ribs in batches until they are nice and crispy.
  • Drain on some kitchen paper and place on a serving dish,, giving them another sprinkling of Shichimi just before serving.
  • If you are watching the fat, the second stage of cooking can be done in the grill or on the barbecue, but your ribs will not be quite so crispy.