Fried Spare Ribs with Honey

These Chinese-style fried ribs get their honey-like sweetness from a reduced marinade rather than actual honey. Sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and sherry simmered together create a syrup that caramelizes onto the pork during frying, producing a glossy, lacquered exterior with a sweet-savory finish.

The technique here splits cooking into two stages, which is the trick to getting both crisp outside and tender inside. The first 5 minutes of frying is at full heat to brown and crisp the surface. Then the heat goes off and the residual oil temperature finishes the inside without burning the sugar coating. It’s the same principle as confit-then-fry but compressed into a single pan.

A full hour of marinating is the minimum and longer is better. The sugar in the marinade pulls moisture from the pork and creates a brine effect that seasons through to the bone. Single-cut ribs absorb flavor faster than full racks since more surface area is exposed.

Pro Tips

• Cut between every bone for individual ribs. They cook faster and develop more crispy surface area.
• Pat the marinated ribs dry with paper towels before frying. Wet meat splatters violently in hot oil and lowers the temperature.
• Use a thermometer to keep oil at 350°F (175°C). Too cool and the ribs absorb oil. Too hot and the sugar burns.
• Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels. Paper makes the bottoms steam back to soggy.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of grated ginger and 2 cloves of crushed garlic to the marinade for more aromatic depth.
• Substitute Shaoxing wine for the sherry for a more authentic Chinese flavor.
• Sprinkle finished ribs with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions just before serving.