Weeknight Ribs

As someone who used to earn a living by working for a magazine, I have a confession to make: I kind of just skim the articles in the publications. I mean sure, if it’s a journalism-heavy mag, yes, of course I read them. But food and home magazines? I page through them for the pictures. So if I’m inclined to make a recipe, it’s usually because the photo looked pretty enough to eat.

In a recent issue of Better Homes & Gardens, there was a gorgeous shot of Asian-inspired spareribs, so I skimmed the ingredients. There were only six, including the ribs. The recipe was courtesy of Genevieve Ko and the instructions were literally 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, and 5 tablespoons water. That’s it. Obviously, I, the queen of being short on time (and taking too long in the kitchen), had to make them. 

After browning 2 ½ lbs. of ribs in a dutch oven, the wine mixture gets tossed in among those bad boys. The whole thing is brought to a boil and then covered and simmered for an hour. Right before serving, the heat gets turned up and the liquid thickens for 10 minutes. A few chopped scallions get scattered on top, and that’s it! Instead of serving the ribs with white rice, I plated them next to a salad with this sesame dressing. The dressing was fair (I’d probably do something with ginger the next time) but the ribs were unbelievable. A little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and absolutely tender to the bone—this recipe is a keeper. 

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