Asian Style Pork Ribs

[paulr]

Posted with permission from Kamadocookers Australia (thanks Michael).

Cooking temp guide - 110-130c
Cooking time – 3-4 hours
Skill level – Medium
Prep time – 25 minutes
Wow factor – Super High!

Small bowl pre soaked smoke chips (Hickory and lighter timber eg NZ
Manuka) 2kg of thick fat untrimmed full length pork spare ribs (Pork belly could be used with less cooking time)**
1 cup Sweet soy sauce (ketchup manis)
1/2 cup light soy sauce
2 tbs fish sauce
1/3 cup sweet chill sauce
1/4 cup coriander root and stem finely chopped
1 lge piece ginger grated
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tbs finely chopped fresh chilli
2 spring onion roughly chopped and bruised
5 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 mandarin, cut into slices
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Five Spice Powder
1/3 cup Brown sugar (for final glaze)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl with exception of the last amount of brown sugar.
**This part is worth looking into with your butcher, most spare ribs especially main stream supermarkets have the skinny small over trimmed ribs with little meat on. I am lucky to have found a butcher in Brisbane that has the most amazing huge fat ribs untrimmed.. they have about 3+ times more meat on them than what you find in the supermarket, and the size and meat/fat content is very important in having a great rib dish…so you need to get your ribs sorted!
As mentioned before in other ribs recipes take the time with a sharp thin blade knife and some paper towel to remove as much of the sinew off the back of the ribs as possible.
Marinate the ribs at least over night ensuring they are fully covered, turn and mix occasionally if the marinade is low.
In the pre heated Kamado ensure that you have the temperature down at around 110-130c and its not climbing, this normally means a tiny gap at the front bottom vent on a new fresh batch of charcoal, we also want to be running with lid about 90% closed.
Use the pizza/baking stone on the main grid, cover with foil (double folded) then good quality baking paper.
Just prior to loading the ribs into the cooker drain the smoking chips and sprinkle around the coals on the cooker, best spot is around the edges and where there is no flame this helps keep the smoking long and slow.
Lay ribs out on paper/foil to cover most of the cooking area overlapping the ribs,baste with remaining marinade mixture .
About every hour or so give the ribs a baste, after about two hours turn all the ribs over. After 2 hours place remaining marinade in a saucepan and simmer gently, reduce by 1/3, baste ribs with new reduced and concentrated marinade.
Depends on the size of the ribs and the temperature of the cooker the ribs will be nearly cooked. Check to see that you can basically pull the meat of the bone.
The meat temperature probe is not really the best way to judge this type of cooking, as we are actually cooking the meat well past the well done stage.
By doing it slowly we also are breaking down the fats in the ribs, basically they are melting through the meat and away.. pretty much blending in with the meat itself.
If the ribs are nearly there return marinade back to the stove, strain solids out and add brown sugar, mix and simmer gently so that a thick sauce has been formed. This thick glaze is the last and most important part of the journey, baste heavily especially the front side of the racks, then place face down directly on the grill for another 10 minutes.. the marinade/baste should have fairly well started caramelize on the ribs, ensure that there they are not cooked to long after this to avoid marinade burning and sticking.
Once all the this has become thick sticky and brown and you can pull the ribs apart with your fingers, you are done!
Serve with steamed rice, stir fry veg and a finger bowl!