Sugar-free Chinese meat rub for that charred spicy sweet rib taste: lo-fat, dairy free

This recipe is worth its weight in gold for easy, tasty week-night meals...
                                                                                                                    updated 1/2025; original 2015

Healthier Chinese Spicy Belly Pork Strips/Ribs ' 

(option for beef/lamb ribs, chicken thighs/wings and other cuts of meat )

' ...lovely and juicy; I usually avoid ribs because they're so messy!' Taster

                                                                                      

Here's a spiced marinade that will give any of cut of pork, beef or chicken the quintessential flavour of  Chinese Spare Rib. 

Post Christmas - or anytime - the great thing about the rub is that it's almost-no-sugar.  And because the meat is barbecued, roasted, or grilled on a rack, excess fat is released and drains away.   

There's no gloopiness; the meat becomes tender, exotically flavoured and covered with crunchy burnished bits. The sauce is much healthier than take-aways or supermarket offerings.  

Winter or summer, prep the meat the night before and it'll be ready by dinnertime.  

Some less expensive cuts may need poaching beforehand which will tenderise the meat so that is is nearly falling off the bone.  Poaching also reduces fat. 

The recipe has been in 67's cookbook for ages but may have been adapted from the (London) Times.

Feeds: 6-8 (as part if a 3-4 course meal) 
Cost: depends on the meat; £5-10'ish?? (Jan 24) Recipe halves nicely

Ingred:
1 kilo/2 pounds meat (pork ribs, chops, tenderloin, belly, shoulder or pork butt; beef ribs, flank or other from-the-belly steak; strips of rump steak; chicken breasts, legs, wings) 

4 tbsp dry sherry or white wine or grape juice
4 tbsp reduced-salt (not low-salt) soy sauce (if there are blood-pressure issues, replace half the soy sauce with good stock)
1 tbsp sugar (opt)
4 cloves garlic, grated or minced (opt)
1/2 tsp each dried cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 rounded tbsp Dijon or other mild mustard

Method: 

MOCHA VALENTINE BISCUITS with pink icing: easy-peasy, frugal, egg-free, dairy-free, spelt flour option

Valentines' Day: easy heart-shaped biscuits with pink icing...

updated May 2023

Chocolate and pink icing on elegant heart-shaped biscuits:
 what better treat for Valentines' Day

Mocha shortbread are a variation of the splendid bottom-of-the-barrel shortbread which needs only a few inexpensive ingredients.  They're budget-friendly but taste like artisan baking.

These are a lovely treat for Valentine's Day, especially if you can find tear-shaped valentine cookie cutters, but really any heart-shaped cutter or any other cutter will do.

Like all shortbreads, it's really easy to make; an older child can handle it without problems.   

The amount is for a small household but multiples easily.

Cost: £1.76'ish (2/24)

Makes: 8'ish biscuits

Ingredients:

100gm/3.5oz soft salted butter

             25gm/oz white sugar +

         15gm/1/2oz brown sugar 

                  OR 40 gms/1.4oz white sugar

         1/2 tsp vanilla OR 1/2 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1/2 tsp warm water

     

         90gm/3.1oz plain white flour +

         30gm/10z wholemeal 

               OR 120gm/5oz white PLUS

         20gm/3/4oz good cocoa

     

Method:

1. Whip butter until structure breaks down (a few seconds); beat in sugars until pale & fluffy - a few minutes; blend in vanilla or coffee
2. Add flours; mix until clumps of dough form; gather them together into a ball, wrap in cling OR form a thick sausage-shaped roll 5-6 inches long, roll in a piece of cling film that's longer than it is wide, twist both ends to even out bumps, lumps and air pockets; shape into a square, triangle or round shaped roll 
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour OR freeze; when ready to bake, defrost overnight 
4. Preheat oven to 170c/325f
5. EITHER ROLL out dough between two pieces of greaseproof paper lightly scattered with cocoa powder to the thickness of a one-pound coin. Cut out biscuits with a cookie cutter dipped in flour, saving scraps.  Lift the cookies onto the cooking tray with a lightly floured palette knife.  Re-roll scraps and repeat. 
6. OR SLICE to thickness of a one pound coin 
7. Bake 10 mins or until brown at the edges.   
8. Serve plain, or drizzled with, or partially dipped in, melted white chocolate mixed with a drop of pink food colour* OR milk or dark chocolate OR drizzle with flowing butter-cream icing (start with 1/3 cup icing sugar mixed with 1/3 tsp milk or cream and a drop of pink food colouring)
9. Store cookies in an airtight container

* Waitrose have a good selection of food colourings, many free of E numbers

Comments:

'Beautiful and amazing; they look so elegant.  I am sure they are as delicious as usual so am saving them for tea with a guest tomorrow,'

semi retired octegenarian

'They were really lovely - crispy and more-ish - and the pink icing didn't look odd at all.' Retired writer

Tips:

• dairy butter gives best flavour but margarine or vegan butter will do
• wholemeal flour and brown sugar can be replaced with white
• wholemeal flour is more dense and absorbs more liquid than white flour 

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This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be used commercially without the author's written permission.