Chinese-style Baby Back Ribs

So this recipe was inspired by two things: 1/2 racks of baby back ribs were on sale at the grocery store AND I wasn't in the mood for normal barbecue sauce. So, I decided to make a glaze-type of sauce using the flavors I enjoy in Chinese food, like soy sauce and orange and garlic. I think my best recipes are created from my weird cravings. The best thing about this recipe is that it's finished in under an hour, which I think is pretty impressive for ribs. But don't worry, they'll still be tender and amazing.

Ingredients [serves 2]:
1/2 rack baby back ribs (around 1.5 lbs)
1" piece of ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder (or 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard)
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or 1 teaspoon hot sauce of your choosing)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup orange juice (which is about half an orange's worth of juice)
scallions for garnish

Start by peeling the ginger and grating it, mincing the garlic (or using a garlic press like I did), and zesting the orange. Reserve 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest for garnish. Also, preheat the oven to 400F.

Next, make the glaze/sauce. Combine ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon orange zest, soy sauce, honey, mustard powder, sesame oil, Sriracha, vegetable oil, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Then squeeze in the juice of 1/2 an orange (1/4 cup) and stir again.

Cover a sheet pan with foil (for easy clean up) and coat the ribs in glaze. Place in the 400 degree oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the ribs and glaze the meat again (both sides). Set the timer for 15 minutes again and repeat the glazing process. Set the timer for a final 15 minutes.

After the last 15 minutes, remove the ribs from the oven and cut into individual portions. Pour the remaining glaze on top and set the ribs in the broiler (with your oven's highest temperature setting) and set the timer again for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, check the color and doneness of the ribs. If the glaze looks caramelized and slightly charred, they are ready. If not, leave them in for another 2 minutes. If you're concerned about the tenderness of the meat from this short cooking time - since ribs are usually a labor of love and grilled for hours until the meat is falling off the bone - don't worry. The ribs will still be tender because they're being cooked just until they're done so they're retaining most of their moisture. Think of it like a pork chop.

Once the ribs are ready, plate them and garnish with chopped scallions and orange zest.

Doesn't the glaze look awesome?

Serve with jasmine rice and the sugar snap pea salad from yesterday's post. Eat the ribs with your fingers for the best taste and experience. The glaze is sweet with a citrus kick but there's also a hint of spice from the Sriracha and black pepper. Try it!

Here's the recipe page: