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    Home » Meat » Pork

    Published: Dec 28, 2022 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    12345 Chinese Spare Ribs (5-ingredients)

    Sharing food makes everyone happy! :)

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Chinese Spare Ribs are delicious, finger-licking Asian-style pork spare ribs that are as simple to cook as 12345 (a mnemonic device that will also help you recall the recipe.) Using only the Asian pantry staples of wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar to braise the meat, with only a few minutes of active cooking, this is the best easy sticky Chinese Spare Ribs for a lazy food lover.

    Someone holding up a small pork rib covered in thick glaze.
    Used Chinese black vinegar which is why these ribs are so dark (not burnt!)
    Jump to:
    • ⭐ Why These Ribs Are So Good
    • 🐖 Ingredients
    • 📋 Step-by-Step Instructions
    • 👩 Expert Tips
    • 🥗 Other Asian Side Dishes
    • 12345 Chinese Spare Ribs (5-ingredients)
    • 💬 Comments

    ⭐ Why These Ribs Are So Good

    So why is this the best easy, sticky, Chinese pork ribs recipe?

    1. These Chinese Braised Pork Ribs are delicious but effortless! Better than any from a Chinese restaurant, 12345 pork ribs are loaded with umami flavour but very low-effort. (Made in 1 pot, no cutting of aromatics involved- my pet peeve- and mostly passive cooking.) If you can mix things together- no rubbing the sauce into the meat necessary so you won't get your hands dirty!- and turn on the stove, you can make this perfectly. This easy recipe is also very forgiving, so if you leave it on the stove for longer than called for, it will still taste good (as long as it doesn't burn).
    2. It doesn't require special ingredients: Don't you just hate it when a recipe involves going out to buy 10 new ingredients which you won't use in any other recipe so they just end up taking up precious pantry space till they go bad?! Thankfully, all the components of this recipe are kitchen staples which anyone who has done a little Chinese cooking before would have in their cupboard. You won't even need five-spice powder, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns or anything like that!
    3. It is easy to remember and can be easily varied: People are often bemoaning how they can only cook from recipes which is why I love ratio recipes like this that can be easily memorised and adapted. Depending on your preference for sweet, tangy or savoury, the proportions of the 1-2-3-4-5 condiments can be changed.

    Note: Adapted from an Irene Kuo recipe to make it more juicy and tasty! This is so easy to cook that even someone who couldn't boil water till she was 18 (yes, me, true story) can make them perfectly on the first try. And healthier than Chinese takeout with no red food coloring etc!

    🐖 Ingredients

    You only need 5 ingredients for these 12345 Chinese Pork Ribs:

    • pork spare ribs: Choose a cut with some marbling of fat to keep the meat tender, such as St. Louis style ribs. Remember to get meaty ribs, pre-cut (or ask the butcher to chop them up for you.) If you don't have a butcher and don't want to mess around with cleaving the meat on a cutting board, the recipe still works with bigger pieces. However, smaller pieces are easier to coat and stir in the pot when reducing the sauce. There's also a better meat: sauce ratio! An alternative to spare ribs are baby back ribs.
    • shoaxing wine: This Chinese rice wine can be found at almost every Asian market. If not, you can use a dry sherry instead.
    • Chinese dark soy sauce: Not to be confused with light soy sauce, thick soy sauce or sweet soy sauce. I use Lee Kum Kee or if you can't get it, here's a homemade dark soy recipe. (Highly recommend you buy or make it if you like Chinese food, as it's used in many recipes such as Hong Kong Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken and Singaporean Braised Pork.)
    • rice vinegar: use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar as a substitute. Chinkiang vinegar (Chinese black vinegar (浙江红醋)) tastes great but the ribs end up so black, they look burnt, even though it's really just the colour of the sauce! You'll need to rely on the feel when stirring to tell if the sauce has been sufficiently reduced, or risk really burning it!
    • brown sugar: regular sugar (white) or rock sugar work too

    These are used in the ratio of:

    1 (shaoxing wine)

    2 (dark soy sauce)

    3 (rice vinegar)

    4 (brown sugar)

    5 (water)

    i.e. for 1 Tablespoon of Chinese wine, you use 2 Tablespoons of dark soy or if you use ½ Cup Shaoxing, you use 1 Cup Soy Sauce etc Super easy to remember!

    However, if you double up on the recipe, you can use slightly less water. If not, it will take a bit longer to boil off the liquid!

    Variations

    Instead of 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing and 2 tablespoons of dark soya, for example, you can inverse the amounts and make it 1 tablespoon of soy and 2 tablespoons of shaoxing. The sauce will still be amazing!

    The only thing to be mindful of is the sugar and dark soya.

    If you reduce that too drastically (for example, from 4 tablespoons of sugar to 1 tablespoon), you may not get as thick, sticky and dark a glaze as I did in the photo as sugar is needed for the caramelization of the sauce. (I've only reduced the sugar by a maximum of 1 Tablespoon when experimenting.)

    Cooking is meant to be fun so play around with the ratios, see which combination is your favourite and let me know!

    You can also use aromatics such as fresh ginger, garlic cloves, green onions, sesame oil, chili peppers or even sriracha sauce to add a new dimension to the 12345 pork ribs sauce.

    Note: I have not tested this recipe in a slow cooker or instant pot.

    📋 Step-by-Step Instructions

    Close-up of pork ribs in a silver pot with sauce around.

    Optional: brine the meat overnight.

    1a. 20-30 minutes before you want to cook, take the pork out, rinse, pat dry and leave at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. This is to make sure the flesh is not fridge cold when you cook!

    Optional: if your pig is not neutered, you may want to blanch the meat before braising, to remove the strong smell. (You can add some ginger and scallions to the pot of water help.)

    1b. Place the ribs in a pot and pour in all the ingredients for the sauce. Turn the heat onto high and stir till everything is well-mixed.

    1c. Once boiling, reduce to low heat (such that the sauce is simmering) and cover.

    1d. Every now and then, pop by to stir the sauce. If the pot looks dry, add in a few tablespoons of water.

    Small pieces of pork ribs coated in a thick caramel sauce.

    2a. After 40 minutes, uncover the pot and turn the fire up to high. Let the sauce boil and sizzle- this is the key step to getting that thick, sticky glaze.

    Note: However, you don't want the sauce to burn (danger from the high sugar content) so feel free to turn down to medium heat if the sauce splutters too much.

    2b. Stir well so all the individual ribs are coated thoroughly and most of the sauce has evaporated. When you are left with a thick and sticky glaze, switch off the pot and serve.

    Delicious with white rice!

    Optional: Garnish with some green onions or toasted sesame seeds!

    👩 Expert Tips

    Here are a few adaptations I've made to the original 12345 pork ribs recipe for more flavorful and tender meat!

    Tip #1: Brine your meat. You should alwaaaaaayyyys brine your meat. The original Irene Kuo recipe didn't include brining, and though the ribs were good thanks to the savoury sauce- we never have any leftovers- the meat itself, sans sauce, lacked flavour. Brining ensures that the flavour goes right into the flesh and not just on the surface. It also makes sure that you get a juicy and tender rib!

    Tip #2. Simmer the Chinese-style spareribs before adding in the sauce. If you want to eat these sticky glazed pork ribs Right Now, but don't have brined meat ready, an alternative is to simmer the ribs in water for 1 hour before adding the sauce in. (Keep the water the pork has simmered in: it's pork stock!) The meat then simmers in the sauces for another 40 minutes, after which it is perfectly juicy, tender and flavourful all the way through to the bone.

    Tip #3. Use a light- coloured pot You don't want to over-reduce the sauce or burn it. Using a pot with a light coloured base makes it easier to see how much the sauce has boiled down by. Do make sure you keep it on the fire till it is nice and thick to get a nice, sticky sauce!

    Tip #4. Pay attention when reducing the sauce This reduction is key to caramelizing the meat. Most of the recipe is passive cooking but, at the end, the sauce reduces super fast. Make sure you keep close watch on the braised pork ribs during the last few minutes!

    🥗 Other Asian Side Dishes

    This dish goes well with egg rolls or 1 of these Chinese sides:

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      39+ Chinese New Year Recipes 2023
    • A plate of Singaporean fried vermicelli noodles with egg, carrot and fish cake.
      Singapore Fried Vermicelli (Bihun Goreng)
    • Crispy and flaky pan fried scallion pancakes on parchment paper.
      Taiwanese green onion pancake (Cong you bing)
    3 pieces of caramelised 12345 spare ribs on a plate.
    12345 Chinese ribs taste very similar to tang Chu pai gu (vinegar ribs) but are much easier to make!

    Enjoyed this easy Chinese Spare Ribs Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked these 12345 ribs, please consider supporting my work by buying me a coffee! 🙂 (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!

    Close-up of a pork rib with fingerlicking sticky sauce and caramelised bits.

    12345 Chinese Spare Ribs (5-ingredients)

    Zen
    These Chinese Spare Ribs are delicious, finger-licking Asian-style pork spare ribs that are as simple to cook as 12345 (a mnemonic device that will also help you recall the recipe.) Using only the Asian pantry staples of wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar to braise the meat, with only a few minutes of active cooking, this is the best easy sticky Chinese Spare Ribs for a lazy food lover.
    5 from 64 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Brining: overnight 8 hrs
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Chinese, Hong Kong
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 403 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pot Use a light coloured one so you can keep a better watch on the sauce (there's sugar in the sauce so it can burn at the end if you don't watch it on high heat and a dark pot makes it hard to tell what's happening!)
    • Wooden ladle Substitute: heatproof spatula

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb Pork ribs, cut into small pieces i.e. 454g Ask the butcher to cut it for you to make your life easier!
    • Salt & Water to brine the meat overnight Optional step
    • For the sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine Substitute: a dry sherry
    • 2 tablespoons dark soya sauce Not to be confused with light soy. You can also make your own dark soy.
    • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar Substitute: white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or chinkiang vinegar (note the latter will make the ribs very black and it's hard to tell if they burn.)
    • 4 tablespoons brown sugar Substitute: granulated white sugar or rock sugar
    • 5 tablespoons water If doubling or tripling the recipe, e.g. if you use 2 or 3 lbs of pork, you double/ triple all the ingredients for the sauce except the water. (Too much water will lengthen the cooking time.)
    • Sliced green onions, sesame seeds, coriander etc Optional garnishes. You can use these instead of spring onions.

    Instructions
     

    • Optional: Mix the salt and water till the salt has dissolved to make the brine. Place the pork into the brine and refrigerate overnight.
    • Half an hour before cooking, remove the ribs from the fridge, rinse and pat dry. Leave till the ribs are room temperature/ about 20 minutes.
      Note: Cooking cold meat turns it hard and dry!
    • Put the meat in a pot over high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and give them a stir to make sure everything is mixed well. Once it's come to a boil, turn down to low heat whilst maintaining a gentle simmer.
    • Cover and leave it for 40 minutes over low fire. Give it a stir every now and then, making sure there's enough liquid in the pot and that you give the ribs a toss.
    • After 40 minutes, uncover the pot and increase the heat so that everything comes to a sizzling boil. This is the key step to making the pork caramelised you want a thick, sticky sauce but you don't want it to burn. (Turn the heat down if the sauce looks like it's burning.)
    • Keep stirring till most of the sauce has evaporated and is a thick glaze consistency. Serve with white rice!

    Notes

    If you don't have time to brine, an alternative is to simmer the ribs in water for 1 hour before straining and cooking with the sauces. (Keep the water the pork has simmered in: it's pork stock!) The meat then simmers in the sauce for another 40 minutes, after which it is perfectly juicy, tender and flavourful all the way through to the bone.
     
    Note on serving size
    Asian food is usually served with many other dishes such as cucumber salad and pumpkin soup. If you are eating Western style (where this dish is the main), the recipe will not serve 4 people! (You will need to increase the portion depending on your appetite- maybe double it for 4 people?)
    If you want to increase the amount, keep in mind that the time required to reduce the sauce may also increase.
     
    Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its accuracy. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 18gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 258mgPotassium: 292mgSugar: 18gCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GreedyGirlGourmet or tag #greedygirlgourmet!

    If you've enjoyed these caramelised Chinese Spare Ribs, please do sign up for my Asian recipes mailing list here!

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says

      June 13, 2021 at 9:13 pm

      5 stars
      Holy heck do these ribs ever look good. That thick sweet sticky glaze is absolutely mouthwatering. I love that they are simple to make as well!

      Reply
    2. Kalin says

      June 12, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      Ribs are one of our favorites here but I've never tried to make them myself! This sounds like a really easy recipe to make and to remember.

      Reply
      • Zen says

        June 13, 2021 at 4:21 pm

        It is! one of the easiest really! Even when I've not made it for a while, I have no problem with it! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Emily Flint says

      June 12, 2021 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for all of the great tips and tricks. I always order ribs at my favorite restaurant but your recipe sounds even better and I can't wait to make these for my family!!

      Reply
      • Zen says

        June 13, 2021 at 4:20 pm

        Ooh yay, I hope they all like it! Chinese people love pork, so we gave a ton of pork rib recipes!

        Reply
    4. Amy says

      June 12, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      5 stars
      These look marvelous! I love the tip about using a light colored pot for the sauce!

      Reply
      • Zen says

        June 12, 2021 at 4:12 pm

        I'm glad u like the recipe and the tip! 🙂 Have a great weekend!

        Reply
    5. Sara says

      June 12, 2021 at 2:10 pm

      I love ribs and am sooo excited to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Zen says

        June 12, 2021 at 4:11 pm

        Oh do let me know what you think after trying! 🙂

        Reply
    6. T says

      February 24, 2021 at 4:04 am

      5 stars
      Cannot believe how easy and yummy these ribs were! My fave recipe of the year!

      Reply
      • Zen says

        February 27, 2021 at 1:23 pm

        YAY exactly what I want to hear! 🙂

        Reply
    7. D. Chew says

      September 05, 2020 at 12:59 am

      Very thoughtful recipe with considerations given to readers aiming to achieve a well cooked pork dish. Instructions are very well written and easy to follow.. TIPS are always useful and welcome. Thank you, Zen and I look forward to more of your recipes that can help me to enrich my dining table. Thank you again. Have a good day and stray safe

      Reply
      • Zen says

        September 22, 2020 at 5:11 am

        Thanks for the kind comments D. Chew! Glad you found the recipe easy and useful! Do share photos if you cook it!

        Reply

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    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love cooking for friends and family. Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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