Chinese Five Spice Pork Ribs

Last Saturday I pulled some ribs out of the freezer. I have been slowly whiddling away the meat in there so I can give the freezer a good cleaning and start out fresh. I went on Kat's blog, A Good Appetite so I could look up a rib recipe that I remembered seeing on her blog. And to my surprise she had posted a rib recipe that very day because she too was cleaning out her freezer.

Now, I know that I am not the only blogger that this happens to. I have heard other bloggers say they have run into a similar coincidental experience. So weird isn't it?

Incidentally, if you do not have Chinese Five Spice you can mix together 1 tablespoon ground star anise, 1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoons crushed Szechuan peppercorns (regular pepper if you do not have this) and a pinch of ground cloves.

Chinese Five Spice Pork Ribs
(adapted from this recipe on Kat and Matt's blog, A Good Appetite)

1 rack baby back ribs, about 2 - 2 1/2 lbs
2 T canola oil
1/4 c soy sauce
1 1/4 c sweetened Mirin
1/4 c hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
1/4 t red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, peeled & minced
2 T honey

Place ribs on a foil covered broiler pan and sprinkle Chinese Five Spice on them. Rub it into the meat then place in the broiler. Move ribs around so they are equally browned.

Meanwhile, in a crock pot stir together the sauce ingredients. Place the ribs into the sauce and coat each rib.

Place on crock pot and low and let it go for about 3 to 4 hours. Opening occassionally and moving the ribs around to make sure the sauce if getting all the sides of the ribs. When the meat is pulling away from the bone, you know you are done.

I served the ribs with "cauliflower mash". I boil the cauliflower until it is completely tender then I mash it with a potato masher and then beat in some cream cheese salt and pepper. It is a lot like mashed potatoes.