Grace in the Kitchen

Char Siu, Anyone?

BY Grace Parisi | POSTED FEBRUARY 11, 2013 AT 10:00AM EST

These crispy, sweet-and-spicy pork spareribs are a
hundred times better than Chinese takeout char siu ribs,
and they’re a good example of what’s so
great about using a pressure cooker.
© Christina Holmes

Food & Wine's senior recipe developer, Grace Parisi, is a Test Kitchen superstar. In this series, she shares some of her favorite recipes to make right now.

By now I probably sound like a broken record, and I’m not afraid to shout it out, but I love my pressure cooker! Tough cuts, like ribs, need a long time to get tender, but literally 15 minutes at pressure and these ribs are almost falling off the bone.

Char Siu Spareribs, those sticky, chewy ribs from Chinese restaurants, though delicious, frighten me with their nuclear-reactor-red food coloring. Mine hit all of the high points without the scary DNA-altering potential. I cut them into three-rib sections, marinate them in a mixture of hoisin, honey, ginger, soy and garlic, then pressure cook them for 15 minutes. Next the ribs get brushed with honey and broiled until browned and shiny. While they’re broiling, I boil the cooking liquid down to a sticky, spicy sauce to serve on the side. Maybe it’s faster than take out. Who knows? But it definitely is better and safer. SEE RECIPE »

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