Sweet + Spicy Pork Ribs with Crunchy Apple Salad

We teamed up with the crew at Equal Parts, a kickass brand that makes non-stick, non-toxic cookware on damn delicious recipe riffs, featuring our new East Asian line of starters. We love these slow-cooked, caramelized ribs, featuring our Chinese Mala Salad Starter, served with a refreshing, crunchy apple salad.

Recipe by Emerald Chan

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line the baking sheet with two layers of foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, kosher salt, and Chinese five-spice powder to form rub.
3. Pat ribs dry and transfer to baking sheet. Season all over with spice rub, pressing gently to cover the sides and edges.
4. Pour 1 cup water into the bottom of baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake ribs for 90-110 minutes, until meat is tender and bones are exposed.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Once combined, slowly pour in olive oil and whisk until dressing is fully emulsified, season with salt to taste. Toss dressing with cucumbers, celery, apples, and cilantro. Set aside until ribs are prepared.
6. Once meat is cooked through, remove from oven, discard top layer of foil, and preheat broiler to high. Brush half of the Omsom starter over ribs to cover both sides. Transfer ribs back into the oven, flesh side up. 
7. Broil until sauce looks caramelized in some parts, 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and brush remaining Omsom sauce over top.
8. Transfer ribs to cutting board and cut  in between each bone to separate ribs. Serve alongside crunchy apple salad and enjoy!