Chinese Boneless Spare Ribs are a fixture on every Chinese takeout menu, right alongside Egg Rolls and Fried Chicken Wings. Savory and sweet, they are oven-roasted and brushed with honey or maltose, and best over a bed of your favorite fried rice.
Boneless ribs became common and popular due to their cheaper cost and the fact that you don’t need moist towelettes to clean your hands and face like you do after eating traditional spareribs.
For these reasons, they have all but completely replaced the traditional Chinese BBQ bone-in spare ribs that Chinese restaurants served for decades.
What Cut of Meat Are Chinese Boneless Ribs Made With?
Boneless spareribs are not actually deboned spareribs. They’re made from a boneless pork butt (which is actually from the shoulder of the pig). The pork is cut into thick slices, roasted, and then cut into long thin lengths.
Chinese takeout restaurants popularized this method years ago. Why? Well, I remember how we used to get complaints at our family restaurant about how expensive the bone-in spareribs were.
It was a tough problem, because they were one of our best items, but after some time, the fresh ribs would sit in the refrigerator for too long and dry out because not enough customers wanted to pay extra for the classic ribs.
Chinese restaurant entrepreneurs thought fast and lo and behold, Chinese boneless spareribs were born! This new breed of “spareribs” had no bones for convenience and were an order of magnitude cheaper for both sides. Plus, they tasted practically the same.
Pork butt or Boston butt are the best and most economical cuts of meat to use for this recipe. That said, if you like, boneless pork country ribs are also a good choice.
Try to avoid pork loin, pork tenderloin, or center cut pork chops. They’re very lean and will yield a dry result.
That said, if you insist on a lower fat alternative, reduce the roasting time, baste often, and place them under the broiler at the end to achieve some color and char.
Are Boneless Spare Ribs the Same As Char Siu?
The key difference between boneless ribs and char siu is the ketchup, ground bean sauce, and pineapple juice that goes into boneless spare ribs.
Depending upon the chef, recipes do vary on the amounts of these three items. Some restaurants choose to use apple sauce or crushed pineapples in place of pineapple juice.
What Do I Serve with Chinese Boneless Ribs?
Serve these ribs with your choice of fried rice or even plain white rice and a green vegetable. Some good choices are Garlicky Broccoli, Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, or a Stir-Fried Bok Choy.
You can also cook up a batch of Beef and Broccoli, some Fried Chicken Wings, or General Tso’s Chicken, and really have an all-out home-cooked Chinese takeout night!
Whatever you decide, please enjoy this Chinese boneless sparerib recipe!
Recipe Instructions
1. Slice & Marinate the Pork
If your pork is not already frozen, freeze until firm (but not rock solid, about 45 minutes) for easier slicing. Cut the pork into ¾-inch (2 cm) thick slabs.
The size of the pieces depends on the cuts of pork you’re using. Mine were about 4×8 inches (10×20 cm).
In a large mixing bowl (large enough to hold the pork pieces), combine the garlic, sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, ground bean sauce, tomato ketchup, pineapple juice, sesame oil, and red food coloring (if using).
Mix until smooth and well-combined.
Add the pork.
Toss until well coated in the marinade.
Cover with plastic wrap or a large sheet pan, transfer to the refrigerator, and marinate overnight (12-24 hours). For maximum flavor penetration and distribution, you can stir the pork a few times during the marinating period, but this step isn’t strictly necessary.
2. Roast the Pork
Once the marinating period is over, let the pork come up to room temperature on the counter for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. (Use an oven thermometer to ensure an accurate temperature.)
Line a sheet pan or roasting pan with heavy duty foil (for quick clean-up) and place a metal rack on top.
Place the boneless pork on the metal rack, ideally with 1/2-inch of room between the pieces. Pour ½ cup of hot water on the bottom of the pan, and transfer to the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, flip the pork. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes. If the pan is dry, add an additional ½ cup of hot water.
Mix the maltose or honey with 2 teaspoons of hot water, and generously brush the pork on both sides.
If desired, you can roast the pork under the broiler for a few minutes. Cook until the pork is lightly charred and caramelized, but watch closely so they don’t burn!
After broiling, brush them once more with the maltose (or honey). Rest at room temperature for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting.
3. Slice and Serve!
To serve, thinly slice the pork into lengths.
Serve alongside your fried rice of choice!
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Recipe
Chinese Boneless Spare Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork butt (sliced ¾” thick into 4”x8” slices; can also use boneless country ribs)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon ground bean sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
- 2 tablespoons maltose (or honey, for brushing)
Instructions
- If your pork is thawed, freeze until firm (but not rock solid, about 45 minutes) for easier slicing. Cut the pork into ¾-inch (2 cm) thick slabs. The size of the pieces depends on the cuts of pork you’re using. Mine were about 4×8 inches (10×20 cm).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic, sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, ground bean sauce, tomato ketchup, pineapple juice, sesame oil, and red food coloring (if using). Mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Add the pork and toss until well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap or a large sheet pan, transfer to the refrigerator, and marinate overnight (12-24 hours). For maximum flavor penetration and distribution, you can stir the pork a few times during the marinating period, but this step isn’t strictly necessary.
- Once the marinating period is over, let the pork come up to room temperature on the counter for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan or roasting pan with heavy duty foil (for quick clean-up) and place a metal rack on top.
- Place the boneless pork on the metal rack, leaving at least 1 inch of room between the pieces. Pour ½ cup of hot water on the bottom of the pan, and transfer to the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, flip the pork. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes. If the pan is dry, add an additional ½ cup of hot water.
- Mix the maltose or honey with 2 teaspoons of hot water, and generously brush the pork on both sides. If desired, you can roast the pork under the broiler set to low for a few minutes until the pork is lightly charred and caramelized, but watch closely so they don’t burn!
- After broiling, brush them once more with the maltose (or honey). Rest at room temperature for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting. To serve, thinly slice the pork into lengths, and serve alongside your fried rice of choice.
