Spiced Spare Ribs

These Spiced Spare Ribs are all about bold flavour and crispy texture. The salt-and-pepper base gets a lift from our Avohaven Chinese 5 Spice, giving the meat a warm, aromatic edge. The double-frying method locks in tenderness while creating a crunchy coating that’s completely addictive. Perfect for sharing with friends over a weekend feast.

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Spiced Spare Ribs

Ingredients:

1 kg meaty pork spare ribs

1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns

2 Tbsp salt

½ tsp Avohaven Chinese 5 Spice

1 ½ Tbsp cornflour

Neutral oil for deep-frying (such as canola or rice bran)

Marinade

2 ½ Tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp caster sugar

2 Tbsp mirin (or 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar mixed with 1 tsp sugar)

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Ask your butcher to chop the spare ribs into 5 cm pieces, or carefully cut them yourself at home.

In a dry wok or heavy frying pan, toast the Szechuan peppercorns and salt together over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring until the salt turns a light golden colour and smells fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle (or spice grinder) and grind to a fine mix. Stir through the Avohaven Chinese 5 Spice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, caster sugar, mirin (or vinegar + sugar), and a good grind of black pepper. Rub half of the spice mixture onto the ribs with your hands, then pour in the marinade. Toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you have time.

When ready to cook, drain off any excess marinade. Lightly dust each rib piece with cornflour, shaking off any extra.

Heat oil in a deep, heavy-based pan or wok until it reaches about 170°C (a cube of bread should turn golden in 40–50 seconds). Fry the ribs in batches for around 4 minutes each, until lightly golden. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove and set aside on a rack or paper towel while you cook the rest.

Increase the oil heat slightly (180°C) and fry the ribs again, this time until deep golden, crispy, and cooked through — about 2–3 minutes per batch.

Arrange the ribs on a serving platter and sprinkle over the remaining spice mixture. Serve hot, straight from the wok.