Guava & Chinese Five Spice Pork Spare Ribs Recipe

A pork spare ribs recipe for a romantic dinner

Nothing inspires an aphrodisiac foods expert more than winter’s bounty of exotic fruits and warming spices. In this recipe, I combine the two into a pork spare ribs recipe–designed for nibbling. This Chinese five spice ribs recipe is part of a menu for an entire dinner featuring the exotic fruits of winter and the allure of warming spices. Think kumquat, kiwi, guava and pomegranate melded with the warming scents of cinnamon, anise and nutmeg.

RELATED: The Health Benefits & Aphrodisiac Use of Cinnamon

Using exotic fruit for a full-bodied barbecue sauce

The idea of the menu is to warm the body with the stimulation of spices. (Many spices have the ability to raise body heat. I think this makes them perfect for a romantic menu.) But I also want to demonstrate just how alluring fruits can be when added to a savory dish like this pork ribs recipe.

In this easy spare ribs recipe, I use the direct sweetness of guava nectar. Guava is one of my favorite tropical fruits because it offers a floral aroma and punch of sweetness. Combine with layers of spice and the acidity of sherry, it creates an alluring–and exotic–barbecue sauce.

TO TRY: Braised Short Ribs with Black Mission Figs

An easy Chinese spare ribs recipe meant for sharing

I designed this oven roasted spare ribs recipe for a wintertime date night. Think a snowy winter evening in front of the fire gazing into your lover’s eyes. Longing to lick that stray bit of barbecue sauce from their upper lip. These are the things that will keep us warm in winter.

But this bbq spare ribs recipe is just one course of an entire menu for romance. Get the full menu plan and recipes in the introduction to my Menu and Recipes Featuring Winter Spices.

Guava and Chinese Five Spice Pork Spare Ribs

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Heat up your night with these pork spare ribs flavored with the sweetness of guava and exotic flavor of Chinese Five Spice. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Seasonal Christmas, Holiday season, New Year's Eve, winter

Ingredient pork spare ribs

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 20 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Servings 2 servings

Author Diane Brown

Ingredients

• 4 lbs baby back pork ribs about 4 racks
• 4 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 4 whole star anise toasted and ground in a spice mill
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 cup sherry
• ½ cup guava nectar
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 3 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp sesame oil

Instructions

• Place ribs in a large roasting pan and pierce meat all over with a fork.
• Sprinkle with Chinese five-spice powder and ground star anise. Rub mixture into the meat. (If preparing in advance, wrap ribs in plastic wrap and hold for up to 24 hours.)
• Whisk remaining ingredients in a sauce pan to blend.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook until reduced by 1/3 and sauce is thickened.
• Cool, then pour sauce over the ribs, turning to coat. Turn ribs meat side down, cover pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400° F.
• Bake ribs, covered, until just tender, about 30 minutes.
• Uncover and turn ribs meat side up; bake until ribs are cooked through, basting occasionally, about 45 minutes.
• Cut meat between bones to separate ribs and serve.

If you like Diane’s sticky ribs recipe, check out her cookbook. She is the author of The Seduction Cookbook: Culinary Creations For Lovers