A classic Cantonese BBQ platter is one of my favorite comfort foods. At a BBQ shop or Cantonese restaurant, it usually comes with a choice of soy sauce chicken or white-cut chicken, paired with one or two BBQ meats such as char siu, BBQ ribs, BBQ wings, or crispy roasted pork.
Over the years, I’ve become pretty comfortable making the chicken and char siu at home. Crispy roasted pork, however, still refuses to cooperate no matter how many times I try! So instead, I shifted my focus to perfecting a versatile Cantonese BBQ marinade that works beautifully for both ribs and chicken wings.
After plenty of rounds of testing different sauce ratios, baking temperatures and methods, I finally landed on a version that almost brings me right back to my childhood. The ribs are tender, slightly sweet and infused with the unique aroma of fermented red bean curd.
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs
- 1 tbsp char siu sauce
- ½ tbsp chu hou paste
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- ½ tsp peanut sauce (use sparingly, as it can easily overpower the other flavors)
- 1 block fermented red bean curd
- 1 tbsp fermented red bean curd brine
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Step 1: Soak the rack of baby back ribs in cold water with a few tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 tsp baking soda for a few hours, changing the water once or twice. This helps draw out blood and reduce any porky odor.
- Step 2: Pat the ribs completely dry. Mix all the marinade ingredients together, coat the ribs thoroughly, and refrigerate overnight.
- Step 3: The next day, let the ribs come to room temperature for about 1 hour. Place them on a wire rack set over a parchment-lined baking tray to allow the sauce, juice to drop and the heat to circulate evenly.
- Step 4: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, then flip the ribs and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the surface is caramelized and lightly charred around the edges.
- Step 5: Let the ribs rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing between the bones.
Enjoy these Cantonese BBQ ribs while they’re hot, with jasmine rice and a plate of stir-fried veggies.
Resources
Online Recipes:
- Made With Lau: here
