Sticky Chinese ribs with plum dipping sauce

These fragrant, spicy ribs are so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone. Make sure you ask your butcher to take the skin off the ribs and to leave the pork belly attached. They're great for a barbecue, as all you’re really doing is reheating them and giving them a delicious, slightly charred, sticky exterior.

And if the weather fails you can simply cook them in the oven (200°C/400°F/gas mark 6) for 8–10 minutes, brushed liberally with the glaze. I like to keep brushing on the glaze and popping them back into the oven after that for a few more minutes to build up a really good layer of dark, sticky glaze.

SERVES 4

  • 1 x 1.5–2kg (3¼–4½lb) rack of pork belly ribs
  • 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • spring onion and red chilli curls, to garnish
  • (shredded and left to curl in a bowl of iced water) (optional)

FOR THE GLAZE:

  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 4 red onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 100g (4oz) plum jam
  • juice of 2 oranges
  • 4 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Rub the ribs with the five-spice powder, 2 teaspoons of salt and a good grinding of black pepper, then leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, uncovered, but preferably overnight.

2 When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/gas mark 3).

3 Tear off 3 long sheets of tin foil and put the ribs in the centre. Drizzle with the oil and seal into a tight parcel. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the middle of the oven for 3 hours, until the ribs are tender and cooked through.

4 Meanwhile, to make the glaze, heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions and star anise for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely softened and starting to caramelise. Stir in the five-spice powder and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the plum jam, orange juice, sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for another minute or two, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the star anise and discard, then place the onion mixture into a food processor and blend to a smooth purée, adding a splash of water if needed. If you would like it super smooth, pass it through a fine mesh sieve. Pour 120ml (4fl oz) of the glaze into a bowl and reserve to use as the dipping sauce.

5 Prepare the barbecue for medium to high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank the coals on one side of the grill; for a gas barbecue, leave at least two of the burners off). Before using your barbecue, give it a good scrape with a wire brush and then use a pair of tongs to dip kitchen paper into oil and swipe it over the grates.

6 Brush a good layer of the glaze over the ribs and place them on the grill for 8–10 minutes, then continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so, brushing continuously with the rest of the glaze to give them a really good layer of dark, sticky glaze.

7 Once the ribs have cooked, leave them to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Arrange on a large platter with the reserved plum dipping sauce and scatter over the spring onion and chilli curls, if liked. Have finger bowls at the ready and plenty of napkins to hand around.

Sweet and sour pork stir-fry with pineapple

This has to be one of the first Chinese-style dishes I ever tried. This stir-fry has plenty of veggies for that wonderful crunch, while the pineapple and soy sauce combine to give this dish its sweet and sour flavour.

SERVES 4–6

  • 225g (8oz) tinned pineapple chunks
  • in natural juice
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 pork tenderloin (fillet) or 450g (1lb)
  • boneless pork chops, well trimmed
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1½ tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and
  • finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated root ginger
  • 1 red onion, diced into 2cm
  • (¾in) cubes
  • 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into
  • 2cm (¾in) cubes
  • 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed
  • and finely sliced
  • 300g (11oz) broccoli, cut into
  • small florets
  • toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
  • steamed rice, to serve

1 Drain the juice from the pineapple and put 1 tablespoon of it in a shallow dish with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and the five-spice powder. Cut the pork against the grain into small, thin strips and add to the marinade, stirring to combine. Cover with cling film and set aside for 10 minutes, or up to 24 hours is fine.

2 Put the rest of the pineapple juice in a Pyrex jug with the rest of the soy sauce, then stir in the rice vinegar and cornflour to combine. Set aside until needed.

3 Heat a wok until it’s very hot, then add the oil and heat until it’s almost smoking. Remove the pork from the marinade with a slotted spoon and stir-fry in the wok for a few minutes to seal

the meat. Transfer to a sieve or colander to drain off all the excess oil, leaving only 1 tablespoon behind in the wok.

4 Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and stir-fry for 20 seconds, then tip in the onion and stir-fry for another minute. Add the peppers and continue to stir-fry for 5–6 minutes, until crisp

but tender. Add the spring onions and stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so.

5 Return the pork to the wok with the broccoli and pineapple chunks, then give the reserved pineapple juice mixture a good whisk and pour it in. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring,

for 3-4 minutes, until the broccoli is just tender. Spoon into Chinese-style bowls and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds, with separate bowls of the rice to serve.