Slow Cooker Asian Style Ribs

This is seriously the best thing I’ve ever made in the slow-cooker. It will definitely be a staple around our little home. Plus, it’s my favorite kind of recipe – incredibly easy to make. I’ve found simple recipes to be key, when working full-time (while managing everything else in life) and trying to stay committed to a healthy lifestyle.

This may be a recipe that you want to make while you are at home, so you can keep an eye on it. I only cooked mine for 5 hours, but it might depend on the slow-cooker. I think if I had left them in longer, all the meat would have fallen right off the bones.

Slow Cooker Asian Style Ribs

Ingredients
1 rack of pork ribs, about 12 ribs (my rack was about 1lb 8 ounces)
salt and pepper

Marinade
2 tablespoons sesame oil (unrefined, expeller or cold-pressed, like this one)
1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce (or substitute coconut aminos)
1/4 cup raw-honey
1/4 cup mirin – Japanese rice wine or (substitute coconut vinegar)
*1 teaspoon five-spice blend
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
juice of 2 limes
pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Chop the rack into individual ribs and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place into slow-cooker
3. In a separate bowl, mix together all marinade ingredients.
4. Add marinade to the slow cooker, and turn the ribs to ensure that they are fully coated.
5. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

*Five-spice blend is a mixture of spices used in Chinese cooking. It usually consists of star-anise, cloves, cinnamon, ground fennel and Sichuan pepper. I was able to find it in the bulk section of our local health food store, New Leaf. If you can’t find it, you can probably make it yourself.