Char Siu Style Back Ribs

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Juicy, tender back ribs are coated in a char siu sauce then cooked over a charcoal grill. Dripping with honey and spice, these ribs will be hit at your next cookout!

One bit of advice that has stuck with me through my life is that "All things are simple, taken one step at a time."

This isn't to say that all things are 'easy.' Instead, it's a psychology aimed at breaking down difficult tasks, and making their completion both simpler and more accessible.

In the kitchen, this advice becomes especially poignant. As proof, one need only look at the sheer volume of material devoted to the singular culinary topic of 'saving time' or 'making meals easy.' The singular idea behind all of that is, really, reducing the cooking process to its most basic components, and presenting each in ways that are easy to understand.

Now, before I go any further towards today's recipe, I'm going to be the first to admit three things. First, barbequing ribs does in fact take a bit more 'finesse' than grilling a simple burger or steak. Second, setting up to cook on the grill does take a bit more effort than doing things indoors. Third, there is no reason to feel intimated either by the grill, or by grilling ribs.

You see, my philosophy when it comes to grilling is actually quite simple. Enjoy every bit of it, and cut no corners.

That's at least how I try to do things in my household, where barbequed ribs are a must this time of year. Let's be honest, whether you like a dry rub, a wet rub, or both, few things can compare to biting into that first fresh-off-the-grill rib.

Which of course does bring us to today's recipe.

While my friends and family are fans of standard barbeque sauces and the standard wet rub, Char Siu Style is perhaps my favorite way to prepare ribs, since it combines classic barbeque with a medley of complex flavors.

To start things off, I begin with a pack of Smithfield Extra Tender Back Ribs, which I prefer since they have no added hormones, are hand trimmed, and easily available at Walmart. I then put together a marinade of hoison sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and hot sauce. Personally, I prefer to go super-hot, using either ghost pepper or scorpion pepper sauce, but if I'm preparing these for company I tend to go with something a tad tamer. Fresh ginger, garlic, and five spice seasoning round out the marinade.

Ideally, you want to marinate these overnight, or at least for a few hours.

Now, here's where I deviate a bit from the 'standard' way to grill ribs. Rather than placing them directly over the fire, I prefer to set mine in a disposable pan, and then cover them with tin foil. I then set them in my barbeque with the lid down and vent open.

Aside from dramatically easing cleanup, this also allows me greater control over how evenly the ribs are cooked, while still infusing them with that great charcoal smoke flavor.

Once the ribs are finished cooking, I rub them down with honey, and serve them with lime wedges.

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And there you have it. One step at the time, and anyone can conquer the grill.

Enjoy with Love!