Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 F. To prepare the Five-Spice Dry Rub, mix together the Chinese five-spice, garlic powder, chipotle powder, kosher salt and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce; add the hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, sambal oelek, fish sauce, lime juice and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Whisk together.

Place a sheet of aluminum foil down on the counter that’s roughly three inches longer on both sides than the length of the ribs. Lay a sheet of butcher’s paper or parchment paper about the same size on top of foil. Place the rib slab in the middle of the paper and proceed to drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over both sides and gently massage in with your hands. Evenly sprinkle the entire recipe of Five-Spice Dry Rub over the top and bottom of the ribs. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce over each side of the rib. With the ribs in the center, wrap tightly the paper followed by the foil. Place the wrapped ribs meat side up on a sheet tray on oven’s middle rack. Cook for 3 hours.

Remove ribs from the oven.

Set your oven to 425 F.

While the oven is preheating, carefully unwrap the ribs being careful not to break apart the ribs and return them to a sheet tray. Apply 1 tablespoon of Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce to both sides (2 tablespoons total), finishing with the meat side up. Once oven is preheated, place the ribs meat side up in the oven for 6-8 minutes until the sauce is bubbly. Remove ribs from oven and apply another tablespoon of sauce to both sides, finishing with the meat side up. Place ribs in oven and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes until the sauce is slightly caramelized. Remove from the oven. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds and green onions. Serve with a heaping mound of the Marinated Cucumber Salad, lime wedge and remaining Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce for dipping.

Chef's Note: Creating a great dish is most importantly about balance. These ribs create the perfect opportunity to find a harmonious mix of sweet, savory, spice and acid. Sweet and savory has always been one of my favorite pairings and with the addition of a little spice in the sauce and sweet acidity in the cucumber salad, it makes this dish really sing! I love to enjoy these types of flavors with a good crisp IPA or medium bodied lager.