Sticky aromatic ribs

Chinese barbecue ribs: aromatic, tender, unctuous, sticky, sweet and oh so familiar to every Cantonese takeaway around!

SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins plus at least 3 hrs marinating and resting COOK 1 hr EASY

1kg pork ribs

3 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

375ml Chinese barbecue sauce

or char siu sauce

4 tbsp golden syrup 1 Put the ribs in a large bowl with all of the ingredients except the golden syrup. Massage into the meat, then cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hrs or overnight in the fridge. 2 Remove the ribs from the fridge and allow to come back up to room temperature, about 1 hr.

3 Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/ gas 31/2. Toss the ribs in the bowl, then tip onto a large non-stick baking tray with the marinade. Bake in the oven for 40 mins, then increase the heat to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4, baste the ribs and return to the oven for another 10 mins. Baste again and bake for a further 10 mins, or until the ribs have begun to brown and even char a little. If you want your meat to be tender and falling o the bone, increase the first part of the cooking time to 1 hr before you start basting.

4 Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 mins, then transfer to a serving plate and drizzle over the golden syrup.

PER SERVING 466 kcals • fat 20g • saturates 5g • carbs 54g • sugars 46g • ibre 1g • protein 17g • salt 4.7g