Hong Kong-Style Barbecued Spareribs With Garlic Yoghurt

There are endless recipes for sparerib marinades however dry spice rubs allow for those crispier edges that are one of the great joys of eating spareribs. An accompanying dipping sauce alongside provides the juiciness and additional flavour. A complete package flavour-bomb.

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 2)

• 545 g pork spareribs
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup Greek plain yoghurt
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Fresh coriander, to garnish
• 1 tsp red chilli, finely chopped, to garnish

METHOD

1. Combine the smoked paprika, soft brown sugar, ground fennel seeds, Chinese five-spice, salt and crushed garlic in a bowl. Rub the marinade into the surface of the spareribs and then leave to marinate covered in the fridge or in a zip-lock bag for a minimum of 1 hour. It’s optimal overnight if you’ve time.
2. Preheat oven to 180˚c and a flat barbecue grill to medium heat.
3. Remove the marinated ribs from the bowl or bag and rub the olive oil over the surface of the ribs. Gently grill on the barbecue flat until caramelised and then transfer to the oven on a baking paper-lined tray to bake for 40 minutes. Alternately, bake without grilling for 50 minutes; turning over every 15 minutes.
4. Place the yoghurt in a small bowl and then stir through the crushed garlic, salt and lemon juice.
5. Serve the spareribs drizzled with the garlic yoghurt and garnished with fresh coriander and finely chopped fresh red chilli.

SERVING NOTES

As the dry spice rub has brown sugar, take care to use medium heat when browning on the barbecue flat grill as the ribs will easily burn.

The Garlic Yoghurt is a great condiment to serve as a dipping sauce alongside any other meat or vegetable dishes or as a stand-alone dip with raw veggies.