The recipe was straight forward and easy. We like ribs, in traditional BBQ style, so we were eager to try these as the aroma spread through the house.
Here's the rack on ribs rubbed with the spice mix and spread with the jam/juice mixture.
The next steps were easy! Bake and baste. The caramelization process was fun, and produced really nice color. I needed to add a little more water and ended up using the entire can of Coke.
After 2 hours, here are the finished ribs!
The meat was tender but not falling off the bone, and the flavor was interesting. We decided you have to approach the meal as a variation on roasted pork, rather than ribs. The Asian twist with the spices, and the sweetness of the jam create a nice flavor. Gary liked the spareribs a lot, I thought they were fine, but not crazy about them. I admit, I had fun cooking with fizzy Coke. A nice accompaniment for the ribs could be Spicy Asian Slaw. I made asparagus - overcooked - and a little past its peak. It wasn't a perfect combo, but tasted ok.
While this wasn't my favorite dish, it was fun to try, and fun to share. Next week's recipe is Rhubarb, a spring favorite. Enjoy!
They look great! That's probably a good idea to think of them as a roast pork variation. Sometimes my expectation of what I think something should taste like (ie, ribs=bbq) gets in the way of judging a dish on its own merits. I liked these ribs well enough, but prefer BBQ style.
ReplyDeleteYour ribs look so lovely and tender... I'm with you, though, I wasn't too crazy about this week's dish, even with my own variations to the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI like the look of your ribs and I agree the Chinese five-spice powder was good with the apricot jam;-)
ReplyDeleteI think the ribs could be kicked up a notch but we did enjoy them, also. Yours look wonderful! Nice photos!
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of serving the ribs with an Asian style slaw! Watching the ribs caramelize with the cola was fun, although after the third time going in for an oven facial I almost called it quits.
ReplyDelete"Roasted pork variation" is a great observation. Defintely didn't fit the typical ribs as BBQ mold.
ReplyDeleteI think slaw would be a wonderful accompaniment - especially on a hot day. We really enjoyed these.
ReplyDeleteThe slaw sounds delicious with the ribs and your ribs look great!
ReplyDeleteThis one wasn't a favorite for me either. I can't wait to try the roasted rhubarb though. Every recipe in the book can't be a hit, though I like the weeks better when I have find a winner. :)
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