For the ribs: for the spice paste, mix all the paste ingredients together in a small bowl.
Remove the thin membrane than runs along the bone/back side of the ribs – the silver skin – if it hasn’t already been removed. Push a butter knife between the membrane and the first bone to loosen then grab the thin flap with a piece of paper towel and pull it off all the way down and off the length of ribs. Discard.
Check your rib racks for size to make sure they will fit on sheetpan. If not, cut in half.
Rub the spice paste over both sides of the ribs and place, meaty side up, on a double piece of foil. Criss cross the foil if it’s too small to fully enclose and wrap the ribs tightly.
Place on a sheetpan and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
To bake: when ready, preheat the oven to 300°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
Bake until the meat is tender and can easily be pulled away from the bones, about 2 ½ hours. When ready, a bone should wiggle freely.
For the glaze: meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine the soy sauce, honey, ginger, cayenne and black pepper.
Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the glaze reduces and thickens slightly.
Remove from heat, stir in the creamy garlic sauce and allow to cool for a few minutes.
To finish: increase the oven temp to 450°F.
Transfer the ribs, meaty side up, to a sheet pan with a clean piece of foil.
Brush the top/meaty side with the glaze.
Bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes more, brushing with the glaze once more halfway through, until nicely caramelized. No need to turn the ribs.
Cut the racks into serving size pieces and serve with plenty of napkins, cole slaw and white bread or Texas toast.
Chef’s Tips
Types of ribs:
Spareribs: from the belly area of the pig. Known for their flavorful, meaty and tender texture. Larger, longer, and flatter than baby back ribs with more fat and connective tissue for a richer flavor when cooked low and slow. Often preferred for smoking or grilling due to their ability to handle long cooking times. One rack can usually feed 2-3 people.
St. Louis Style Ribs: a specific cut of spareribs that have been trimmed for a more uniform, rectangular shape.
Baby Back Ribs: from around the loin area of the pig. Smaller, more tender, leaner and a milder flavor compared to spareribs. Can be cooked quickly, making them a good option for a quick grill or oven bake. Typically more expensive than spareribs, one rack can usually feed 1-2 people. If you opt to use baby back ribs for this recipe, oven bake at 300°F for 1 ½ – 2 hours then proceed with the recipe as directed.
Rib Tips: the bits of meat cut from sparerib ends when making St. Louis ribs. This meat is full of cartilage, but low and slow cooking can make it quite tender and delicious.
Country Style Ribs: boneless “ribs” from where the pork loin and shoulder meet. Though not really ribs, they have a similar appearance and taste. They are meaty, containing both lean loin meat and rich shoulder meat, but they also contain a lot of fat so they are best cooked low and slow.
Rather than bake the ribs, you can grill over low, indirect heat as well. Smoking the ribs for the initial cook is another option. Keep in mind the high sugar content of the glaze has a tendency to burn so grill over indirect heat and watch carefully.
