TF's Spare Ribs

This recipe also works for chicken.

Ingredients:
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Chinese five-spice powder
1 rack pork spareribs, trimmed of excess fat, cut in 1/2 through the bone so you have 2-inch length riblets
2 T white sesame seeds, for garnish
cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

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Ingredients for the glaze:
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
juice of one large red grapefruit, up to 1 cup
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 T ketchup
3 T rice vinegar
1 fresh red chile, split
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 1-inch coins
optional: 1/4 cup brown sugar
OR,

alternative teriyaki sauce

Preparing the ribs:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix the salt and pepper in a small bowl with the five-spice powder. Liberally sprinkle and rub the mixture all over the ribs (but don't use all of it; 1 to 2 teaspoons per pound of ribs) and arrange the ribs in a single layer in a roasting pan and slow-roast for 2 hours.

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Preparing the glaze:
In a pot, combine the soy sauce, grapefruit juice, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, chile, garlic, and ginger over medium heat. Bring to a slow simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened to a syrup consistency, anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of glaze in a small bowl and set aside.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste the ribs with the glaze. When they are done, the meat will start to pull away from the bone. Just before you're ready to eat, baste the ribs with the glaze again and stick them under the broiler for 5 to 8 minutes to make the spareribs a nice crusty brown. Separate the ribs with a cleaver or sharp knife, cutting at every second rib so there are 2 bones per piece. Pile them on a platter, and pour on the reserved glaze. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6