Nice to have but not necessary- a garlic press (if not, mince the garlic with a knife)
- a silicone brush for spreading the sauce evenly on the ribs
The recipe
3 lbs/1.5 kg pork spareribs
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 cups/500 mL orange juice
1/2 cup/125 mL honey
1/4 cup/60 mL tamari
1 Tbsp/15 mL cider vinegar
1/2 tsp/2 mL ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp/15 mL cornstarch
Put the ribs and the onion chunks into a large pot.
Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.
While the ribs cook, put the orange juice, honey, tamari, cider vinegar, ginger and garlic into a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, watching carefully and stirring often. (You don't want it to boil over, or burn!)
Reduce heat.
Simmer for at least half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Scoop out some of the hot honey sauce and put it into a mug.
Add the cornstarch.
Stir well.
Return this honey-cornstarch mixture to the saucepan.
Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens.
Remove it from the heat.
Put the cooked ribs into a baking pan.
Pour the sauce over them and spread it evenly.
Bake for about half an hour, until heated, basting occasionally with the sauce.
Substitutions
- Use soy sauce in place of the tamari.
- Use a bit of fresh grated ginger instead of ground ginger.
- Use any vinegar in place of the cider vinegar.
Ideas for making this recipe your own
- Try using different sweeteners - like brown sugar, maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Experiment with different juices in place of, or mixed with, the orange juice.
Tips
- Look for unsweetened orange juice, not "juice cocktail". Read the label; many juices have a lot of added sugar. You don't need that in this recipe.
- Provide wet cloths to each diner. You'll want to use your fingers to eat these tasty ribs, and you will get messy!
- Use kitchen shears to cut the cooked ribs into portions. You could also cut the meat into portions before you cook it.
Menu suggestion
Serve this dish with
