Sticky Ginger Country Ribs
One weekend I bought some cheap ribs in the country style and then forgot about them for two days. That I was standing in the kitchen trying to figure out dinner with whatever I already had lying around. I found some soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar and a hunk of fresh ginger hiding in the back of the fridge drawer. Not exactly a carefully crafted recipe.
I really thought something decent at best. But about the third hour into the cooking the smell completely changed my mood. The ginger with the garlic and sweet soy sauce perfumed the whole kitchen with that warm takeout-y smell that makes people suddenly hover around and ask when dinner’s ready.
Even the dog wouldn’t leave the kitchen. Then I knew the recipe was going to work. Country ribs are great in the slow cooker because they don’t dry out easily. They remain rich and tender as the sauce thickens around them. By dinner time the meat was hanging on to the bone and the sauce was dark and sticky and glossy in the best way.
When I served these nobody talked for the first few minutes. “Everybody just ate. That’s a win for me. Now I make them whenever I want something comforting that is not much effort. I throw everything in the slow cooker early in the day, forget about it for a bit, and let the smell slowly take over the house. I generally like to spoon the remaining sauce over some rice – it seems almost criminal to waste it.
Ingredients
- 3 lb. country style pork ribs
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Sauce
- Mix some soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic together in a bowl.
- The ginger smells pretty strong at first, but the flavour softens with cooking.
Step 2: Insert the ribs
- Put the country ribs in the slow cooker.
- Pour the sauce over the ribs and turn them around a little to coat everything well.
- I just sort of throw them in wherever they fit.
Step 3: Cook them
- Cover and cook on LOW 7-8 hours or HIGH about 4-5 hours.
- The ribs should be really tender near the end and the sauce should look thick and sticky.
- If the sauce looks thin, open the lid for the last 20-30 minutes.
Step 4: Serve.
- Serve the ribs hot over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.
- And be sure to spoon extra sauce over the top.
Kitchen little notes
- I do recommend fresh ginger for this recipe as it gives it its whole personality.
- add red pepper flakes if you want some heat.
- The leftovers are even better the second day.
- Keep a few extra napkins on hand, because ribs are always messy.
Closing Thoughts
These ribs don’t look fancy and honestly I think that’s part of their charm. They smell wonderful, taste rich and comforting and they make dinner feel a little slower and quieter for a while. Also, someone will definitely sneak a piece before dinner starts. That happens all the time in my house.
