Today's installment of pork = awesome features hoisin braised country style ribs. Country style ribs aren't really ribs at all, rather these delicious morsels are cut from the rib end of the shoulder and usually contain a bone or two. Slow cooking country style ribs breaks down the fat and connective tissue which creates a tender, juicy, and delicious final product. You'll need the following:
3lbs bone in country style ribs
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger (you can substitute 1 tsp powder ginger)
2 cloves garlic smashed
Method: Put ribs into your crock pot. Cover with onion slices. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over ribs / onions.
Cover and cook on low for 8ish hours (you're looking for the ribs to be tender, the bone will probably fall out and the meat will be falling apart). Really, that's it. A few minutes in the morning and by the time you're home from work dinner is waiting.
Remove ribs from the crock pot and keep them warm. De-fat the pan juice and pour over the ribs, garnish with chopped cilantro.
I add some sliced peppers to the mix, jalapeno, poblano, anaheim, whatever I have around to Bam! it up a notch. I've accidentally omitted the rice vinegar from this dish and haven't noticed a marked decrease in deliciousness. A couple teaspoons of sesame oil will also add a bit of je ne sais quoi to this dish.
You are KILLING me, meat. Well played, again!
Oooh. Track-backs as comments!!!111one111!!! sean rocks!
Sorry, doc. I didn't realize I was stepping on your toes.
No, no non nonononononono! No toes were stepped on, unless it was yours. I just thought the beer post would go well with the pork post, since I had it ready to go.
I want to bring back attention to this recipe. Country-style ribs tend to be kind of fatty, but the ginger and vinegar in this recipe (plus meat's addition of peppers) would, I think, really cut through the fattiness to make for an awesome dish. Accompanied by a nice, belgian-style pale ale 😉
Sweet Jeebus, I hope my wife lets me try this. I balls country ribs but can't convince her that they are awesome.
What do you serve this with? Rice?
I've served this with rice / roasted red potatoes with spicy grilled asparagus.
I think I'll pair it with some wasabi mashed potatoes when I get around to making it. Comfort food, baby.
I just bought my ribs to throw in the crock pot tomorrow morning. I added the sesame oil but used red pepper flakes instead of one of the other suggested peppers. I didn't want it too spicy or the kids wouldn't eat it.
I was also thinking about E's suggestion of wasabi mashed potatoes but t-ball starts at 5:30 so rice is probably the best we'll do for a side.
I think this does not compute, Algonad. But it sounds like a nifty substitute.
Are the red pepper flakes hotter than those other peppers? They had Spanish names so I assumed they were hotter!
Anaheim's are the long green chiles, and probably what one gets in canned, "roasted green chiles." They are on the mild end, although can sometimes be pretty hot (in my experience). Poblano are bigger, triangular-shaped chiles, and are mild -- often used for Chile Rellenos.
red pepper flakes come from a hodge-podge of chiles, but usually have some pretty good heat.
Interesting. Have usually used hoisin only with roast duck/cabbage/pancakes.
Agree with the slow cook notes above.
In college used to do country style pork ribs from Arkulary's in Duluth - pre-boil makes a big difference on the fire-fighting front - then once browned nicely, brush liberally with barBQ sauce laced with Coca-cola.