ORANGE GARLIC SLOW-COOKER RIBS

Orange Garlic Slow-Cooker Ribs image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ribs can be assembled in mere minutes and left to cook while you walk away. To finish, the tender ribs are glazed with a honey and hoisin sauce and caramelized under a broiler or on a grill.
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
4-5 hours
Ingredients
1 cup diced yellow onion
3/4 cups hoisin sauce
1/2 cups chicken stock or water
zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder*
4 pounds pork back ribs, fat trimmed, cut into 2-rib portions
2 tablespoons honey

Steps:

In the slow cooker combine the onion, 1/2-cup hoisin, and the next 5 ingredients and mix well. Add ribs and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover slow cooker and cook until tender, about 5 hours on low.
Preheat broiler to high or a grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4-cup hoisin sauce and honey and mix well.
Transfer ribs to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Brush with hoisin mixture and broil ribs until golden brown and sauce is caramelized, about 3 to 5 minutes. If using a grill, cook, turning once, until caramelized, about 5 minutes.
*Chinese 5-Spice Powder: Long a staple in Chinese cooking, this spice blend includes peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and fennel. This blend encompasses all five flavours-sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. Look for it in the spice aisle of larger grocery stores.
Make your own spice mix: Combine 1 tsp Szechwan pepper or ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground star anise, 1 tsp ground fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Store unused spice mix in an airtight container, in a cool dry place.