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Spareribs yasai suzuke

Spareribs yasai suzuke

You will need to start this recipe the day before.

“The spareribs at Sydney’s Toko are superb. Would you ask chef Alun Evans for the recipe?”
Willow Wren Alexander, Brisbane, Qld

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Spareribs yasai suzuke

Serves 4
Cooking Time Prep 15 mins, cook 1 hour 40 mins
Spare ribs
1 kg   pork spareribs (see note)
3 litres   vegetable oil
30 gm   ginger, finely grated
3 cloves   garlic
10   fresh bay leaves
3   cloves
Star anise and honey soy sauce
200 gm   white sugar
250 gm   honey
200 ml   yamasa or light soy sauce
15 ml each   sesame oil and vegetable oil
100 gm   ginger, finely chopped or grated
100 gm   garlic (about 1 head), finely chopped
1   white onion, finely chopped
2-3   whole star anise
Konbu pickles
500 ml (2 cups)   rice wine vinegar
150 gm   white sugar
1   fresh bay leaf
2   cloves
2 tsp   black peppercorns
2 tsp   coriander seeds
100 gm   cauliflower, cut into small florets
1   small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
½   Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
100 gm   daikon, peeled, cut into 5mm batons
100 gm   cherry tomatoes, large ones halved


1 For konbu pickles, combine all ingredients except vegetables, and ¼ cup sea salt in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Cool. Add vegetables and refrigerate overnight.
2 Combine ribs and 1 tbsp salt in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove, rinse, drain and pat dry with absorbent paper.
3 Preheat oven to 160C. Place ribs in a large roasting pan with oil, ginger, garlic, bay leaves and cloves. Roast for 1½ hours or until tender. Remove from oven and cool ribs in oil. Remove ribs, drain well, discarding oil, and pat dry with absorbent paper to absorb oil.
4 For star anise and honey soy sauce, combine all ingredients. Makes 3 cups. Combine ribs and sauce and marinate for 2-3 hours. Remove half the ribs from sauce and transfer to a frying pan over medium heat, add ½ cup sauce and cook for 5 minutes, turning frequently, or until sauce caramelises and ribs are warmed through. Repeat with remaining ribs. Serve immediately with konbu pickles to the side.

Note Ask your butcher to cut spareribs in half crossways for you.

RECIPE Chef Alun Evans, Toko Restaurant & Bar (edited by Adelaide Lucas) PHOTOGRAPHY Teny Aghamalian STYLING Michele Finato


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