Sunday Ribs

P.F. Chang's Northern-Style Spare Ribs, copycat. Oven method. Serves about 4.

Shop by Saturday! The rub goes on Saturday night, and we cook Sunday afternoon. Times are for a 6:00 PM dinner.

Shopping list

Stop & Shop on White Plains Rd has everything on the main list. Check the pantry first for spices. Tap an item to tick it off.

Meat case

• 2 racks pork baby back ribs (about 2.25 to 2.5 lb each). At a butcher counter, ask them to remove the membrane on the back.

Produce

• 1 head garlic (or a small jar of minced garlic)
• 1 bunch scallions

Spice aisle (McCormick is fine)

• Chinese five spice (the most important one, do not skip)
• Ground cumin
• Paprika (regular, not smoked)
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic powder
• Ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes

Baking aisle

• Kosher salt (check the brand: Diamond Crystal or Morton, the amounts differ below)
• Light brown sugar

Other

• Vegetable or canola oil
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil (wide roll)
• Plastic wrap

Optional: H Mart, 1789 Central Park Ave, Yonkers

• Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes): use 2 tbsp in place of the paprika and the cayenne
• Whole Sichuan peppercorns: toast, grind, and add 1 tbsp to the rub for a citrusy tingle
• Shaoxing cooking wine (near the soy sauces): use in place of the water in the foil packets

The ribs are great without the optional items, so do not make a special trip.

Saturday night: rub and wrap

Peel the membrane, coat both racks in the rub, and refrigerate them overnight. This takes about 20 minutes.

1. Pat the ribs dry and lay them bone side up. If the butcher did not remove the membrane, slide a butter knife under the thin shiny skin at one end, grab it with a paper towel, and pull it off in one sheet.
2. Mix the rub in a bowl (amounts below), breaking up any brown sugar lumps.
3. Spoon about 3 tbsp of the rub into a covered container and save it for Sunday.
4. Sprinkle the rest on both sides of the ribs, heavier on the meaty side, and press it in with your hands.
5. Wrap each rack tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Rub (for 2 racks)

Optional: use 2 tbsp gochugaru in place of the paprika and cayenne. To add Sichuan pepper, toast 1 tbsp whole peppercorns in a dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, let cool, grind or crush them in a bag with a rolling pin, and stir them into the rub.

Sunday: bake, broil, finish

The ribs braise sealed in foil at 275°F for about 2.5 hours, then get a short broil and a garlic-scallion toss. Eating at a different time? Shift every time by the same amount.

1. 2:00 PM

   Take the ribs out of the fridge. Heat the oven to 275°F with a rack in the middle.

2. 2:30 PM

   Tear off two large sheets of heavy-duty foil, about 2 feet each. Set a rack of ribs, meat side up, on each sheet. Pour 2 to 3 tbsp water (or Shaoxing wine) onto the foil beside the ribs, not on the rub. Fold the foil up and seal every edge tightly with a double fold to make a packet. Set both packets on a rimmed sheet pan to catch leaks.

3. 2:30 to 5:00

   Bake 2.5 hours.

4. 5:00 PM

   Open one packet carefully (hot steam) and test: a bone should twist loose, and the meat should pull back about 1/4 inch from the bone ends. If not, reseal and bake in 20-minute checks, up to 3 hours total.

5. ~5:30 PM

   Carefully slide the ribs, meat side up, onto a foil-lined sheet pan (they are fragile, so use tongs and a spatula). Turn the broiler to HIGH with the rack about 6 inches below it.

6. 3 to 6 min

   Broil until the edges darken and crisp. Stay at the oven, the sugar burns fast.

7. Then

   Rest 10 minutes, then cut between the bones into single ribs.

8. Last

   Toss with garlic and scallions (below), then serve.

Garlic-scallion toss

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in your largest skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes for 20 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
3. Add the ribs, half of the 6 sliced scallions, and the saved 3 tbsp of rub. Toss gently for 1 to 2 minutes, in two batches if the pan is crowded.
4. Plate and scatter the rest of the scallions on top.

Plan B and notes

The oven packets are the best route to tender ribs. Use the slow cooker only if the oven is tied up.

• Slow cooker (plan B): start at 11:00 AM. Cut each rack into 3 pieces, stand them on their edges around a 6-quart or larger cooker with the meaty side facing out, and add no liquid. Cook on LOW for 6 hours, then move the pieces carefully to a foil-lined sheet pan and broil as above. Expect a softer, less crusty result.
• St. Louis spare ribs instead of baby backs: add 30 minutes in the oven (or 1 hour in the slow cooker).
• Doneness over the clock: go by feel, not time. A bone should twist loose and the meat should pull back from the bone ends.
• Five spice matters: it is what makes these taste like the restaurant version, so do not skip it.