Q: Do you have a good recipe for barbecue pork ribs? I can't wait for summer. - P. Davidson, Maidstone, Kent

A: Yes I do, because I couldn't wait either. I use a Chinese-inspired recipe rather than the smoky, slow-cooked dry-rub Memphis-style barbecue ribs or Kansas City ribs slathered with barbecue sauce, and I bake them in the oven while we wait for barbecue weather to come around again.

Ingredients
Feeds 4. Takes 50 mins plus marinating.

1kg long pork spare ribs, cut into individual ribs
250ml water for tray

FOR THE MARINADE

2tsp Chinese five-spice powder
150ml hoisin sauce
2tbsp tomato ketchup
3tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
½tsp salt
1tbsp freshly grated ginger

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

2tbsp hoisin sauce
1tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce

For the marinade, combine the five spice, hoisin, ketchup, rice wine, salt and ginger in a bowl and mix well. Add the ribs and coat them thoroughly. Leave to stand in the marinade for three hours or overnight, tossing occasionally.

Place the ribs on a wire rack set over a baking tray and add
the water to the tray. Cook the ribs for 20 minutes at 230C/Gas mark 8 then turn the ribs over and cook
at 200C/Gas mark 6 for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on
them - you want them scorched and sizzling, but not burnt to a frazzle.

Remove and serve with a dipping sauce of hoisin sauce and sweet chilli sauce.

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