Sous-Vide Char Siu-Style Chinese Baby Back Ribs

You’ve probably seen plenty of sous vide rib recipes that call for cooking them 12 hours, even 24 hours. But – let’s face it, we’re all pressed for time. If you’re under deadlines at work, have a dog to walk and yourself to take care of (imagine that!) – you likely don’t have an entire day to spend making finger-licking good ribs. Heck, what if you want to make them on the the spur of the moment? I’m here to tell you it can be done. It’s true. Below is a recipe for delicious sous vide char siu style Chinese baby back ribs. With this recipe, you will end up with tender, luscious ribs that are savory, smoky, sweet, and reminiscent of those favorite Chinatown lacquered ribs you just can’t get enough of. And all it takes is about 4 hours. The baby back ribs get vacuum-sealed in a bag with a most flavorful marinade of hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, five spice and sesame oil. Take a quick visit to your local Asian market to find these ingredients easily.

Author

Carolyn Jung

Carolyn Jung is a James Beard Award-winning Bay Area food journalist, whose work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Coastal Living, Via magazine, Food Arts, Edible Silicon Valley, Wine Spectator and other publications. She is the former staff food writer for the San Jose Mercury News. Her debut cookbook "San Francisco Chef's Table'' published in December 2013. She is also the creator of the acclaimed blog, FoodGal.com.

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 04:00

Temperature : 167F / 75C

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fermented bean paste
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons five-spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds baby back ribs, membrane removed
• Cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 167ºF (75ºC).
2. In a large bowl, stir together hoisin, dark soy sauce, sugar, honey, sherry vinegar, fermented bean paste, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, salt, white pepper, and black pepper.
3. Transfer about 1/3 cup of the marinade to a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for later use.
4. Add ribs to the remaining marinade. Mix to coat the ribs well. Divide ribs between 3 large zipper lock or vacuum seal bags. Seal the bags using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting.
5. Place the bags in the water bath and set the timer for 4 hours.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the ribs from the bag. Heat a grill to 400ºF.
2. When the grill is hot, add the ribs. Brush some of the reserved marinade over the ribs. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip the ribs and brush with additional marinade. Continue to cook for 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Slice the rack into individual ribs. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Dig in to your sumptuous sous vide char siu style Chinese baby back ribs!