Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup orange-blossom honey
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1/2-1 teaspoon spicy chili paste with garlic, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar

Ribs:

• 4 pounds pork-loin ribs cut Chinese style or baby-back ribs

Instructions

1. To prepare the marinade: Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium-size bowl, and blend well.
2. To prepare the ribs: Place the ribs in a jumbo plastic-sealable bag. Add the marinade to the ribs and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
4. Place the ribs on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap tightly without any holes. Place the package in a large roasting pan and bake for 1[1/4] hours. Alternately, place the ribs in a roasting pan and cover well. The ribs should be tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Remove the ribs from the oven. Remove the ribs from the foil, drain and reserve the juice and place in a dish.
6. Prepare the barbecue for medium-heat grilling. Grill the ribs about 3 inches from the flame for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until they reach the desired doneness, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade, making sure they do not burn. Place on a serving platter and serve with the reserved juices, if desired.

Tips

• When selecting ribs, I prefer the meaty and less fatty baby-back ribs, sometimes called loin ribs. They have a covering of meat over the bones and also between them that makes them leaner and meatier than spareribs. They are shorter and smaller than spareribs. They are a bit more costly than spareribs but well worth it.
• Look for racks that have meat on the rack and not a lot of fat. It’s best to buy fresh ribs that have not been frozen.
• Sometimes, you will find the smallest ribs cut up and called Chinese-style ribs. These are the small ribs from the end of the loin rack. You can substitute these individual ribs if you prefer; these make a great appetizer.
• Use this marinade on pork tenderloin or chicken.
• This might be prepared 1 day ahead through step 4, covered and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before grilling.

Serves 4 to 6