Weeknight Honey Garlic Ribs
Not the beer braised short ribs again, (although it was tempting), but some honey garlic pork spare ribs using meat we bought from Wayne’s Meats at the Farmer’s Market. Wayne is a friendly farmer who raises pigs, sheep and even breeds rottweilers! Whenever we stop at his counter he proudly shows us photos of his farm in Hagersville, Ontario. Luckily he keeps a meat cutting band saw (yes — band saw!) at his counter, so he easily cut the large rack of ribs into pieces that would fit into my slow cooker.
All I had to do was brown the ribs, pour some sauce over them and refrigerate them overnight. Friday morning before work, I tossed it all into the slow cooker, (making sure the ribs were at the bottom) and left it to work its magic.
When I got home, the aroma in our kitchen made my mouth water but it didn’t smell like pork. It took a second, but finally I placed it — it smelled like Kentucky Fried Chicken! Does anyone have any idea why?
In the end the ribs were a hit. The sauce was sweet, spicy, and thick enough that no stove-top simmering was required. We made some sweet potato fries and enjoyed a relaxing dinner. These ribs turned out to be a perfect for a Friday night. What do you like preparing for weeknight guests?
Honey Garlic Spare Ribs
Prep:
30 minutes
Cook:
8 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
Yield: 4-6 servings
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1⁄2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp sherry
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp quick cook tapioca
- 3 1⁄2 lbs pork spare ribs
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups sliced onion
- 1⁄4 cups honey
- 5 cloves minced garlic
Pat ribs dry and rub rib with salt and pepper.
Brown the ribs in a skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. About 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and melt the butter. When it stops foaming, add the onions and cook until they begin to caramelize. About 10-15 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, ginger, cayenne and cumin then add the molasses. Stir to coat the onions and scrape up any brown bits. Put into the slow cooker insert and place the ribs on top, meat side down. Sprinkle with the quick-cook tapioca.
In a bowl, whisk honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sherry and Worcestershire sauce together. Once combined pour over ribs.
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
To serve, place a section of ribs on a plate and pour some sauce over it. Use any extra sauce for dipping.
