Chinese BBQ Boneless Ribs

Pork shoulder (aka Boston Butt, or Pork Butt**) is one of my favorite cuts of meat. I'm particularly fond of using it as "ribs" - which are sold in my local grocery store as "western ribs", but are really just 2" thick slices of pork shoulder roast. They cost a LOT less than real ribs do around here - as low as $1.29/lb, where spare ribs never seem to go below $2.19 a pound. When you consider all the extra meat you get out of the western ribs as compared to the spare ribs, it is quite the deal.*

Pork Butt

Forking my pork...OK, I'll stop.

Marinade (½ cup reserved)

Marinating pork

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Chinese BBQ Boneless Ribs (Char Siu)

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• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

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Description

Boneless pork shoulder "western ribs" in a sweet char siu marinade, slow cooked on the grill and finished in foil with hoisin barbecue sauce.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

Pork

• 4 pounds "western ribs", or a boneless pork butt roast cut lengthwise into 2 inch strips

Marinade

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Sauce

• ¼ cup marinade, reserved
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• ½ cup ketchup

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Instructions

1. Marinate the pork for 4 hours: Poke each piece of pork with a fork on both sides, roughly every half inch. Put the pork in a non-reactive bowl, glass dish, or gallon zip-top bag. Whisk the marinade ingredients together until the sugar dissolves, reserve ¼ cup for the sauce, and pour the rest over the pork. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours, turning occasionally so it marinates evenly.
2. Make the sauce: Whisk together the reserved marinade, hoisin sauce, and ketchup. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Set up the grill for indirect low heat: Fill a charcoal chimney half full (roughly 50 briquettes), light it, and wait until the charcoal is covered with gray ash. Divide the charcoal into two piles on opposite sides of the grill, and put a 13x9 inch aluminum foil pan between the piles. Pour 1 quart of hot tap water into the pan.
4. Cook the pork for 3 hours: Put the grate on the grill, then put the pork on the grate, over the foil pan. Cover the grill, and close the top vent ⅓ of the way to slow down the charcoal. You are trying to maintain a temperature between 250°F and 300°F. After every hour of cooking, quickly remove the lid and add 12 coals (6 to each side).
5. Wrap in foil and cook 1 more hour: After 3 hours, add another 12 coals, then move the pork to a sheet of aluminum foil, pour ½ cup of the sauce over the pork, wrap it in the foil, and put the packet back on the grill over indirect heat. Open the top vent all the way. Cook for 1 more hour, then remove from the grill.
6. Rest and serve: Let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes before opening the foil packet. Serve with the remaining sauce for dipping.

Notes

Hoisin sauce is sometimes called plum sauce, or Chinese barbecue sauce. You'll find it in the Asian section of most grocery stores, but Asian markets sell it in larger bottles for less money.

Serve with white rice and a couple of stir-fried vegetables.

Leftovers are perfect for fried rice - dice the pork into ¼ to ½ inch cubes. They are also good reheated.

Quicker version: Cut the pork into ½ to 1 inch strips instead of 2 inch strips. This reduces the cooking time before wrapping in foil from 3 hours to 1 ½ hours.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Marinate: 4 hours
• Cook Time: 4 hours

Adapted from Chinese Barbecued Pork from Cook's Illustrated.

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