These Braised Country Style Ribs have an Asian flare with orange juice and soy sauce that pairs perfectly with this low and slow pork dish. Crock Pot friendly too! 
I’m going to let you in on some cold, hard, facts – the holidays are expensive. I don’t care how you slice it, the last two months of the year are so terribly expensive that we have to save up during the other 10 months just to pay for it. So, here in the middle of the most expensive month during the most expensive holiday of the year we embrace the cheap cuts of meat. And there isn’t much in the meat case that’s cheaper than country style pork ribs (ok, there’s lots of chicken, but a girl can only eat so much chicken).
What is a Country Style Rib?
According to Wikipedia and my local butcher “Country–style ribs are cut from the blade end of the loin close to the pork shoulder. They are meatier than other rib cuts. They contain no rib bones, but instead contain parts of the shoulder blade.”
So, they are kind of like a boston butt but with more bone. Which makes them perfect for braising in the oven or a slow cooker. There is also a boneless variety of country style ribs that are a little bit leaner (more from the loin end I think) that are also great for braising and take a little bit less time to cook.
We usually make country style ribs with some kind with a barbecue style sauce, but this Asian variation is a nice change of pace.
Asian ingredients
There are some ingredients in this recipe that you may or may not be familiar with.
Hoisin sauce is fairly common and is a bit like an Asian barbecue sauce. Most grocery stores (even my little small town one) carries some brand or another and it’s super handy to have around to add a little sweetness to any Asian style sauce or stir fry.
Chili Oil is also something a little different, but man does it pack a punch. A little goes a long way with this stuff but it adds a wonderful heat to any dish.
That’s it! Make a sauce and braise these puppies until they are nice and tender! It’ll be your new favorite way to pinch pennies during the holidays.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in country style ribs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 chopped scallions
- 1 teaspoon chili oil substitute red pepper flakes if needed
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Put your oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Sprinkle the ribs with the salt and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients (except the cornstarch) over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven or roasting pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the ribs in one layer, making sure to turn them in the sauce to coat. Cover with a heavy lid or aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours or until very tender.
- Remove the ribs from the sauce and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Over medium high heat, bring the cooking sauce to a boil, uncovered for about 10 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water then add to the sauce. Stir until it has thickened. Remove from heat and add the ribs back to the sauce and coat with the glaze. Serve with steamed rice and broccoli!
Leave a Reply