Fall apart slow cooked sticky pork ribs with a golden crispy exterior, covered in a sweet, sticky sauce. These Sticky, Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs are the best ribs ever!
Ordering ribs when you go for Chinese is an absolute must right?
I’ve tried lots of ribs in lots of places, and I’ve made a fair few versions myself with pretty good results.
Nothing ever compared to the ribs sold in a little Chinese restaurant in my home town of Southport though. Members of my family have been know to order ribs for their starter, then ribs for their main course at that place.
If your face and hands weren’t covered in BBQ sauce by the end then….well I can’t actually tell you because that would never happen. Ling’s barbecued spare ribs were unbeatable.
Or so I thought.
I’d been thinking about testing out a few different ways to cook ribs.
- Dry rub first?
- Slow cook in the sauce?
- Slow roast then finished on the BBQ?
Then I started thinking about my favourite Sticky Chinese Pork Belly recipe and I realised that applying the same ingredients and technique might just work. After all, the cuts of meat are pretty close in terms of location. The ribs of course have bones, but surely that could only add to the flavour?
Yesss!
They were perfect.
The kind of perfect that makes you smile when your husband looks at you like he fell in love all over again, making constant ‘Mmmmmm’ sounds whilst he’s eating them.
So perfect that the plan of only eating one each and cutting up the rest of the meat for another meal goes completely out of the window.
The kind of perfect that finds you sticking your finger in the leftover sauce for another lick, because despite the fact you’ve already eaten dinner, that taste is just too good to go to waste.
Sorry Ling. Your ribs really are marvellous, but I’m now free of my occasional thoughts of making a 110 mile round-trip to come and get some. x
The Sticky, Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs Recipe:
Sticky, Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs
Ingredients
Slow-cooked ribs:
- 1.25 kg (2.75 lbs) meaty pork ribs about 5 or 6 ribs - in one piece
- 1 litre (34 fl oz) hot chicken/veg stock
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped in half
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
Glaze:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 3 tbps soy sauce
- 1 tsp lemon grass paste
Instructions
- Add all the slow-cooked rib ingredients to a large pan (not the glaze ingredients). Bring to the boil, then place a lid on, turn down the heat (to prevent the rib meat sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning), and simmer for 3 1/2 hours. Check a couple of times during the last hour of cooking, and top up with a little more water if required. Alternatively, you can do this in your crockpot - cooking for 4-5 hours on medium or 6-7 hours on low.1.25 kg (2.75 lbs) meaty pork ribs, 1 litre (34 fl oz) hot chicken/veg stock, 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp rice wine, 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Turn off the heat and drain the pork, reserving the the liquid.
- Carefully chop the pork into individual ribs (the meat will fall off the bone if you're not careful enough). Add the oil to a large frying pan. Heat the oil and add in the ribs, salt, and pepper, frying on a high heat until the ribs start to turn golden.2 tbsp vegetable oil, pinch of salt and pepper
- Now, mix the remaining glaze ingredients plus 2 tbsp of the cooking liquid (save the rest for a tasty soup) in a small bowl and pour the glaze over the ribs. Bring the sauce to the boil and continue to cook whilst basting the ribs until they look dark and sticky. Remove from the heat and serve.1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soft brown sugar, 3 tbps soy sauce, 1 tsp lemon grass paste
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing ribs! Full of flavour and the meat just fell off the bone.
Just cooked it using 1.3kg baby back ribs, delicious! I only simmered it for 3 hours but came out good. Family loved it! My brother asked me for the recipe.
Once I took the ribs out of the stock, I skimmed it to get rid of some of the fat and oil, then added sauteed onion, celery and leek as well as some chopped carrots and parsnips and let it cook for 25 while I finished the ribs. Added some noodles and had a nice veg and noodle soup as a side to the ribs, strange combination perhaps but it tasted nice.
Really delicious. I used a little garlic salt instead of ordinary salt in the glaze and added a few chilli flakes for a little zing. I forgot the soft brown sugar but had made a lot of glaze so the extra honey helped. Definitely doing this again soon!
When I first saw these pictures I knew I had to make these ribs, and I’ve got to say I was not disappointed . B****y gorgeous.
Only just discovered your blog love it you have a great sense of northern humour !! Just made these they are to die for. As I live not far from Southport you will have to let me know were Lings is then I can go and sample them there please
Oh wow, these were the best! Tasted so authentic, will definitely be making more of these!!! Thanks Nicky ?
Thanks for letting me know how it went Julie, I’m so glad you made them. We did them on the BBQ last weekend and they were awesome. In fact, I might even write another post on them BBQ style 🙂
I can’t wait to try your ribs this weekend!
Hope you like them Gail 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks Loretta 🙂
These look absolutely mouthwatering, Nicky!! My husband is the short rib master in our house – just texted him this recipe with a **please**. 🙂
ha ha hope he makes them for you Marissa, they’re really good!!