Fry the chopped shallots in a small amount of oil in a frying pan until soft then add the garlic. continue to fry for about 30 seconds and add the five spice powder and fry for a further 30 seconds. Add the sugar, red wine vinegar and soy sauce, stir untill the sugar has dissolved and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to the boil.

In the meantime, deep fry the ribs in hot oil until browned, remove, drain and dry off on kitchen paper.

Once the sauce has started to boil add the drained ribs and simmer un-covered for about an hour until the sauce is thick and the ribs are coated. Regularly spoon the sauce over the ribs. Remove the ribs and store until ready to be finished on the barbecue. They can be prepared in advance to this point.

Once the coals have reached the optimum cooking point quickly barbecue the ribs until heated through – be careful not to overcook the ribs. serve while hot.