Ingredients
3kg spare ribs, cut into pieces
250g of soffritto (or 1 large onion, 2 carrots and 1 celery stick diced)
2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh chillies, finely chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
8 cloves
1 tsp whole Szechuan peppercorns or black peppercorns
1 litre of cola
2 spring onions, finely chopped, to garnish

Glaze
8 tbsps tomato ketchup
8 tbsps hoisin sauce
4 tbsps sugar
4 tbsps dark soy sauce
2 tbsps light soy sauce
4 tbsps shoaxing rice wine

Method
Mix all of the glaze ingredients into a small pan and put roughly half into an oven dish.

Slowly mix the coke into the mix that is in the oven dish, taking care as it will foam up.  Add the soffritto, garlic, ginger and all of the spices in and then nestle in your ribs.  Cover with foil and put into a 180c oven for 1½ - 2 hours. You know when they are done as you can pull out the bone easily.  You don’t want them to be so cooked however that they fall apart.

Take the ribs out of the oven but leave in the liquid or they will dry out.

You can now either finish cooking now or finish off later.

Strain 350ml of the cooking liquid into a saucepan and add the glaze ingredients.  Put on a fairly high heat and reduce for 10-20 minutes until thick and sticky. You want a sauce that will easily brush on to your ribs and not run off.

Cut your rib racks into individual ribs.

Place on to the braai or under a grill and brush liberally with the glaze. Turn every few minutes so the glaze doesn't burn, rebrush with sauce every time you turn. Cook until covered, brown and is sticky.