Sticky Citrus-Ginger Honey Ribs

So what else can you do with the Citrus-Ginger Honey from Monday's post? Funny you should ask...........

Along with drizzling it on the Seeded Oat Bread, I could probably think of at least twenty more ways to use this magical elixir, but you'll have to settle for just two more.......... this post and tomorrow's Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Citrus-Ginger Honey Glazed Strawberries. Most likely, I'll be all excited next week about some new recipes or some awesome fresh ingredients that have just come into season and poor old Citrus-Ginger Honey will have taken a back seat. Sorry C-GH, but that's just how this blogging world works - this is your week to shine!

Sticky Citrus-Ginger Honey Ribs ........... the name pretty much says it all, and if anything's missing, the pictures tell the rest of the story. The only thing I'll say is...... MAKE THESE ASAP! They're fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth, sweet-spicy, crazy deeeeeeeeeeeeeee-licious!!

P.S. Oh, one important thing - they're not difficult to make in any sense, but you do have to plan ahead - as the ribs need to nestle up overnight with the flavorful rub - this helps impart the wonderful layers of deliciousness!

Sticky Citrus-Ginger Honey Ribs

Ingredients:
5-6 pounds country-style ribs*
Ingredients for the rub:
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seed
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
Ingredient for the sticky sauce:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon seame oil
3 cloves garlic
½ cup low sodium soy sauce**
½ cup hoisin sauce***

½ cup oyster sauce***

¼ cup Mirin***
½ cup Citrus-Ginger Honey
1 teaspoon Sriracha
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, from 1 large or two small oranges
Ingredients for garnish:
orange zest, from 1 orange
lemon zest, from 1 lemon
thinly sliced green onions, 1-2 medium onions
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions for the rub:
1. Combine the dark brown sugar, sea salt, mustard, crushed coriander and paprika. Line two sheet pans with foil and divide the ribs between the two. Don't be tempted to put them all on one sheet. since they will give off a fair amount of liquid and you don't want a big mess in your oven! Trim any large areas of the fat off of the ribs, then sprinkle them with the brown sugar mix and massage the rub into the meat on both sides. Cover each pan tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Directions for the ribs:
1. The next day, remove ribs from the refrigerator and drain off any liquid that has accumulated. Preheat the oven to 250° F. Cover the ribs again with the foil, making sure they are tightly sealed. Roast for about 3 hours until ribs are very tender. Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then place ribs on a clean baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Discard liquid from the roasting process.

2. At this point you can allow the ribs to cool, wrap well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, brush ribs generously with sticky sauce and place under broiler for 3-5 minutes until bubbly and starting to brown in spots. Flip the ribs over and repeat on the opposite side. Serve over rice or with mashed potatoes, garnish with sesame seeds, thinly sliced scallions and lemon and orange zest. Pass extra sauce at the table.

Directions for the sticky sauce:
1. Heat canola and sesame oils in a medium-large sauce pan. Add garlic and and sauté for 30 seconds or just until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and bring sauce to a simmer; to maintain a medium simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce is starting to get syrupy. Sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Notes:
* You can make these with bone-in or boneless country-style ribs. At my local markets these are on sale for a great price quite frequently. I stock up and stick them in the freezer, then when I'm ready to make a yummy dish like this, I don't have to pay an arm and a leg! I like the country-style ribs as they are so meaty, but you could also use baby back ribs.
Don't have a heart attack when you see how much meat this recipe calls for to feed 6 persons. The meat will shrink up quite a bit during the long, slow roasting time. Don't be fooled and not have enough meat - your family and friends might just burst into tears if they don't get their fill of these amazing ribs! If you're using the boneless ribs 5 pounds is probably plenty.

** Be sure to use the low sodium soy sauce because the sauce simmers and reduces. It will become quite salty if you use regular soy sauce. You can always add more salt, to taste.

*** Hoisin sauce, oyster sauce (no, it doesn't taste anything like oysters - it's a thick, slightly sweet, caramel colored sauce that lends wonderful flavor to many dishes) and Mirin are all readily available in the Asian section of most grocery stores. You can also get them for very cheap at Asian markets.

Serves 4-6

PRINTABLE RECIPE