By Arkansas Women Bloggers member Mary Wood of Run of the Mill Mary
My introduction to hog farming came at the age of 10. A neighbor’s sow had a litter of pigs. One of the little ones kept being pushed to the side when it came feeding time, and earned the designation of a ‘runt.’ A runt’s chances of survival are pretty slim if an intervention does not occur. Our neighbor asked if I would like to raise the ‘runt’ as my own. I excitedly said “Yes.” So dad and I built a make-shift pen for ‘Rusty’, my name for the tiny pink pig with rust-colored spots. Every morning before school, I got up early to mix up mash, a mixture of ground corn and water, to feed to Rusty. She thrived and so did my appreciation for the hard work involved in producing the pork that helps feed the world.
One of our family’s favorite pork dishes is Country Style Pork Ribs. We usually grill them, but sometimes I need something that is a bit more schedule-friendly. So I dig out the slow cooker. There is nothing like walking into the house after a long workday and being greeted by the inviting aroma of these succulent ribs!
ARK-ASIAN COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS
Prep Time: Marinate overnight
Slow Cooker – 6 to 8 hour
Grill – 30-45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup oil (rice bran, olive or vegetable)
- ¼ cup orange or pineapple juice
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced OR 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 6 pounds country style pork ribs
Instructions:
1. In a gallon zip bag, combine brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, oil, juice, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger to create marinade.
2. Add ribs to marinade, jostling bag to completely cover ribs.
3. Refrigerate marinating ribs overnight, or at least 8 hours.
4. Remove ribs from bag, reserving 1 cup of marinade.
5. Lay ribs in slow cooker, covering with 1 cup of marinade.
6. Cook on ‘low’ setting for 6-8 hours, or until fully cooked and fork tender.
Optional Cooking Method:
Ribs may be grilled over a medium grill. Turn every 10 minutes for 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Brush with marinade as needed.
Serve with Beer Battered Green Beans or Arkansas Rice, Corn, and Black Bean Salad.