5-spice Tea Braised Ribs

My uni friend once told me that instead of cooking normal bak ku teh, you can substitute with tea for a change. That got me thinking - together with 5-spice like what they do with tea eggs, this is a tasty yet simple recipe. I actually used green tea (高山茶) but only because I didn't have any black or red tea at home but the tea taste wasn't strong enough. On the other hand, it had a nice 'gum gum' (sweetish tea) flavour. Black or red tea would also give it a slightly smokey flavour.

Ingredients (for 2)
750 ml freshly brewed red or black tea e.g. tie guan ying, oolong or pu er
500 g spare ribs
1 stick cinammon
1 star anise
1 tsp 5 spice power
2 tbsp black soya sauce
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 handful gei zi (boxthorn) (optional)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced

Method
1) Marinate the spare ribs with dark and light soya sauce.
2) Brew the tea and set aside. The tea leaves should not be added to the pot and boiled otherwise they become bitter.
3) With a little oil, fry the aromatics (garlic, ginger and onions) until fragrant. Add the spare ribs and brown them.
4) Add the tea, and all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil before turning down the flame to a simmer and simmer down for 20 mins.
5) Serve with freshly boiled white rice.