Stovetop Garlic Spare Ribs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, North American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1 15

Total Time: 1 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 636kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Featured on almost every Chinese restaurant buffet, Garlic Spare Ribs are a classic and are loved by all! My version is so easy to make and tastes exactly like that popular buffet favourite. One pan and a stovetop is all you need for these ribs! They're garlicky, sweet, sticky, and delicious!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 pounds spare ribs

Sauce Ingredients:

3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup molasses
10 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnish and Finishing Ingredients:

1/4 cup cornstarch, whisked with 3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon seasame seeds, for garnish
3 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

Instructions

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a large dutch oven and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium and allow the sauce to heat up.
In the meantime, rinse the spare ribs under cold running water. Gently massage each piece taking the time to feel for small bone fragments and remove any if found.
Once all of the spare ribs have been cleaned, add them to the pot with the sauce and increase the heat to high.
As the sauce and rib mixture comes to a boil, some foam will gather at the top. Use a spoon to scoop out the foam/scum and discard it.
One all of the foam has been removed, reduce the heat to simmer and place a lid on the pot.
Simmer the spare ribs for 1 hour, checking and stirring at the 30 minutes and 45 minutes.
Next, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
Remove the lid and slowly pour in the slurry mixture while stirring the ribs and sauce. This will thicken the sauce.
Once thickened, turn off the heat and allow the ribs to rest for 5 minutes, uncovered, before serving.
Plate and garnish. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe makes a lot of sauce which increases the nutritional values. However, all of the sauce will not be consumed, but that does not mean you should halve the sauce amounts when preparing the recipe. The volume of sauce ensures that the ribs are well submerged during the cooking time, which is important to getting that fall-off-the-bone end result. Leftover sauce can be portioned and frozen for later use.

Nutrition