The BEST ribs you've EVER tasted!

Ribs in the slow cooker is not something I'd done before.  Previously I'd always slow roasted them but I had a busy day, important things to do, ok, it was shopping.

The idea behind this recipe is to slow cook the ribs, a really cheap cut of meat, to melting tenderness and then add the sticky glaze and finish in the oven.  Using a slow cooker when cooking for one may seem like a waste of energy but this is the great thing; most slow cooker meals are great frozen and reheated, by freezing after the slow cooker stage but before the oven, it makes it possible to have these delicious ribs ready in 20 minutes after a day at work.  How good is that?  What's more, slow cooking in an oven uses loads of energy but a slow cooker is much more efficient.  Now I've tried these, I don't think I'm going to make ribs any other way.

Slow cooked pork ribs - Serves 2 (can freeze half of the recipe part way through)

Ingredients

700g, 1.5 lbs Pork ribs cut into single ribs
500ml, 1 pint water
1 tbsp Grated ginger
2 tbsp Soy sauce (use tamari if you need to eat gluten free)

For the glaze (for the whole batch, halve if freezing half the ribs)
4 tbsp Soy sauce (use tamari if you need to eat gluten free)
4 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp Grated ginger
2 tbsp Runny honey

Method

Put the ribs, water, 1 tbsp ginger and 2 tbsp soy into a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-5 hours.  I cooked mine for 5 hours and if anything they were falling off the bone too much.  Slow cookers vary massively though so check with yours to get the result you want.

Once the ribs are cooked, preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 6, use a slotted spoon to take out of the slow cooker.  The remaining broth makes a delicious soup base, just strain and skim off the fat and use with noodles and vegetables or freeze for another time.

Freeze half the ribs if you want to at this point.  Mix together the appropriate quantities of glaze and pour over the ribs giving a good coating.

Bake in the hot oven for about 15 minutes or until the glaze is sticky and coating the ribs with the odd bits where it's charred and delicious.  That lovely browning is where you get the massive flavour input from the Maillard reaction.

If reheating, defrost in a fridge over the day then mix with the glaze and bake for approx 20 minutes from chilled.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and coriander (cilantro) leaf if liked, perhaps a side salad of cucumber and radish?  Then serve your delicious ribs.

Linked up to recipe of the week.