Honey Garlic Ribs

My favorite ribs come from a little restaurant in the Napa Valley called Rutherford Grill. They have these ribs that are so tender, they practically fall apart as you're eating them. Since I rarely get these ribs any more (living 700 miles away makes it difficult) and since Skagit River Ranch had a sale on ribs the other day, we decided to try making our own. The results were good, although there was room for improvement. They were easier than we anticipated, though, so we'll definitely be trying ribs again. This recipe originally came from Accidental Hedonist (one of our favorite local cooking blogs).

Ingredients * = local, & = organic

• 4 pounds spare ribs *&
• 4 tablespoons agave nectar
• 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 garlic cloves *&

Directions

1. Combine the agave nectar, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and crushed garlic cloves in a bowl. (If you have a marinating container, use this.)

2. Place the ribs in a large container or dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours and flip once or twice.  

3. Set your oven to 350. Take your broiling pan and line the bottom with foil. Place the ribs on the top pan and reserve the extra marinade.

4. Bake for 30 minutes and then brush the ribs with the extra marinade. Flip the ribs and bake for another 25 minutes.

5. Remove the ribs from the oven and let them sit for a few minutes. Cut and enjoy.

Notes:

The original recipe called for honey, but agave nectar is a good, diabetic friendly substitute. It also called for both light and dark soy sauce. We couldn't find both types of soy sauce in our local supermarket, although I'm sure the asian foods store would have them.

These were good. I wouldn't call them great, but they were easy and had a good flavor. Next time we'll add some minced ginger, and possibly some bourbon to the marinade.