Gordon Ramsay’s sticky pork ribs are braised in Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, honey and star anise until the liquid reduces to a thick, dark glaze. The recipe comes from the Ultimate Cookery Course and serves 6-8. About 90 minutes from searing to serving.
In the YouTube video Ramsay says you must get colour on the ribs before anything else goes in. Without the sear, he says, the ribs look “sort of boiled as opposed to a nice caramelised rib.” That colour is the foundation of the whole glaze.
The 600ml of Shaoxing rice wine is what most other versions of this recipe leave out. It is the biggest single liquid in the tray and gives the sauce its depth. In the video Ramsay says it takes the heat out of the Sichuan pepper and chilli flakes.
Gordon Ramsay’s Sticky Pork Ribs
Course: Dinner, MainCuisine: Asian-inspiredDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings15
minutes1
hour20
minutes480
kcal95
minutesPork spare ribs braised in Shaoxing wine, soy, honey and star anise from the Ultimate Cookery Course. Ramsay sears the ribs hard first because that caramelisation is the entire foundation of the glaze. Serves 6-8 with about 90 minutes of total cooking.
Ingredients
2kg pork spare ribs, separated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for frying
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
10cm (4 in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2-4 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
8 whole star anise
8 tbsp runny honey
300ml (1¼ cups) soy sauce
4-5 tbsp rice vinegar
600ml (2½ cups) Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
10 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
800ml (3⅓ cups) chicken stock
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan/Gas 4).
- Sear the ribs: Season the ribs with salt and pepper, pushing the seasoning into the meat. Heat a roasting tray on the hob with a little olive oil and brown the ribs for 5–10 minutes until coloured on all sides. Do not rush this step.
- Toast the aromatics: Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise and honey. Cook for 2 minutes until the honey begins to caramelise.
- Add the liquid: Pour in the soy sauce, rice vinegar and Shaoxing wine, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Taste and adjust, adding extra vinegar if needed. Add the spring onions and chicken stock, bring back to the boil. Lay the ribs down like a tight box of matches.
- Braise: Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Turn the ribs over and cook for a further 30 minutes until tender.
- Reduce the glaze: Remove from the oven and place the tray back on the hob. Heat the liquid and reduce for 8–10 minutes until thick and syrupy, turning the ribs to coat. For every minute they glaze in that tray, they get better and better.
Notes
- The book calls for 800ml stock. In the video Ramsay uses 400ml. Either works: more stock means a longer reduction but a richer sauce. Serve with steamed rice and Asian greens like bok choy or choi sum.
FAQs
Can you make Ramsay’s sticky ribs a day ahead?
Yes, and Ramsay specifically recommends it in both the book and the video. He writes that you can leave the cooked ribs in the marinade for a day or two, which “really helps to develop the flavour.” In the video he says the flavour keeps developing in the fridge and you just reheat when ready.
This makes them a brilliant dinner party dish because all the messy searing and braising happens the day before. On the night you just reduce the glaze on the hob for 20 minutes, coat the ribs and serve. The Shaoxing wine and soy deepen overnight in a way that same-day ribs cannot match.
Are these the same as BBQ pork ribs?
No. These are Asian-style braised ribs with a soy, honey and star anise glaze. American BBQ ribs use smoke and a tomato-based sauce, which is a completely different approach.
Ramsay has a different BBQ version on his website called Crazy Sticky Ribs, using ketchup, brown sugar and fennel seeds. He also has a hoisin version from his Lucky Cat restaurant and a Vietnamese sweet and sour version from the Great Escape. The UCC recipe on this page is the Chinese-style one with Shaoxing wine and Sichuan peppercorns.
Why is the Shaoxing wine so important?
It is 600ml of the total braising liquid, making it the single biggest ingredient after the stock. The wine gives the sauce its depth and the slight tartness that balances the honey and soy. Most copycat versions skip it entirely or use a splash of sherry, which is why their glaze never tastes right.
Ramsay says in the video that rice sherry is a good substitute. You can find Shaoxing wine in most Asian supermarkets for about £2-3 a bottle. Do not use cooking wine from the regular supermarket aisle because it has added salt. For another recipe that uses Asian marinades the same way, his teriyaki salmon also builds on soy and rice wine.
Can you use baby back ribs instead of spare ribs?
Yes, but adjust the timing. Baby back ribs are smaller and leaner, so reduce the oven time to 40-45 minutes total instead of the full hour. Ramsay says in the video to look for ribs with “60% meat and 35-40% fat” because the fat keeps them moist during the braise.
Spare ribs have more connective tissue, which renders during cooking and keeps everything succulent. A pork rib roast is a different cut entirely: a large joint on the bone, not individual ribs. For his pork belly he uses a similar slow approach, and for his pulled pork he braises pork shoulder for much longer.
Can you make these in a slow cooker?
You can, but you lose the two steps that make this recipe special. The sear has to happen on the hob first because a slow cooker cannot caramelise. Then after slow cooking, the glaze needs reducing in an open tray because a slow cooker cannot evaporate liquid.
Sear and toast the spices on the hob, transfer everything to the slow cooker on low for 4-5 hours, then pour the liquid into a saucepan and reduce it separately for 10 minutes. Toss the ribs through the reduced glaze before serving. For a dish that works better in a slow cooker, his beef short ribs are designed for long, gentle braising.
