Chinese Spare Ribs (jin du pai gu)

Melt in your Mouth tender chinese spare ribs, also known as Jin Du Pai Gu with sweet and savory flavors from Star Anise, and Rock Sugar!

Chinese spare ribs are slowly braised in a soy based braising liquid and come out so tender and delicious, with the meat practically falling off the bone. The ribs are smothered in a rich, sticky, finger-licking glaze that will have you wanting to go back for seconds!

These ribs are seriously my favorite homemade Chinese dish. They’re so easy to make with minimal ingredients and perfect for a rainy weekend in that will leave your house smelling full of delicious aromas. Really – this dish takes no effort at all and the end result of restaurant quality ribs at home is well worth waiting for the braising liquid to reduce down to a sticky glaze.

Pro tip -A quick par boil and rinse of the ribs removes the impurities in the meat.

Ingredients

• Spare Ribs – The star ingredient. Any style of spare ribs works for this dish.
• Star Anise – This dried brown eight-pointed seedpod adds a licorice note to braises and sauces.
• Ginger – Essential for chinese cooking. Complements the star anise.
• Light Soy Sauce – this is the common soy sauce that you can find at any local grocery store. “Light” refers to color and consistency, not sodium content. I’m partial to Low-sodium soy sauce so that the salt level can be more controlled.
• Dark Soy Sauce – Thicker, darker, and slightly sweeter than its cousin, the light soy sauce. Used to flavor dishes and darken the color of sauces. Using Dark Soy sauce is highly crucial to obtaining that rich dark color in the Chinese Spare Ribs Jing Du Pai Gu!
• Shaoxing Wine – This amber-hued rice wine is specifically made for cooking. It adds a depth and subtle sweetness to savory dishes, like this one!, with notes of vanilla and other warm spices.
• Rock Sugar – Secret ingredient to sticky and shiny spare ribs. Read on below for more details….
• Water – Barely cover the ribs with water to create the braising liquid for the ribs to soak up all the juicy flavors

Peeling Ginger

Look for big, unwrinkled “hands” of ginger and store them in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks. You can also freeze ginger; it softens upon defrosting, but maintains its distinct flavor.

To peel a knobby piece, the least wasteful method is to scrape the skin with the edge of a spoon. The fastest method is to slice off the skin and any stubby bits with a sharp paring knife.

What is rock sugar? … The secret ingredient to Chinese Spare Ribs!

Rock sugar is formed from sugar cane extract and water. It is usually used as a drink sweetener or as a candy snack in asian cultures. Rock sugar is less sweet than granulated sugar, so it ‘s really a great sweetener that doesn’t overpower the taste and provides nice caramelly (is that even a word??) undertones.

Chinese rock sugar gives braised meat, like this spare ribs recipe, a translucent and shiny appearance, and a delicate flavor that regular white granulated sugar can’t provide.

It really is the special ingredient in the chinese spare ribs that brings the dish from home cook level to a pro-level finish with a nice sheen!

Substitutions for Rock Sugar

Rock sugar can be purchased at specialty asian grocery stores or online at Weee! White granulated sugar can be used as a substitute, but since it’s sweeter you’ll need less (in the recipe, substitute 1/2 cup of rock sugar for 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar).

For a darker and richer flavor, brown sugar works too.

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