Crabapple Glazed Ribs

We had determined that we would have ribs for supper this evening, and I was anxious to put them to test in the pressure cooker, but what kind. I was in the mood for nicely glazed ribs with a bit of heat and a bit of sweet.

The original recipe is one that I've made several times and is actually for Baked Maple Ribs from The Spice Ingredients Cookbook. But I didn't have the staple ingredient, maple syrup, on hand. I figured, that apart from a bit of a maple flavour, the intent was a sticky, sweet ending. So, surely crabapple jelly would be a reasonable substitute.

First I sautéed some onions and garlic right in the pressure cooker until they were softened. I added crabapple jelly, soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, chopped fresh ginger, paprika, mustard powder, balsamic vinegar, and sambel olek for heat. I brought it all to a simmer. I carefully placed individual ribs from a rack of baby back ribs into the pot so that each one was in the sauce. I would say that this is key to the end product.

I put the lid on and let it come to pressure. They cooked at high pressure for 20 minutes and I let the pressure drop on it's own for some extra cooking time.

When I opened the pot, I could tell that any part of the rib that wasn't submersed in the sauce, didn't capture any of the colour. It wasn't particularly attractive or appetizeing. But, they were definitely done and very tender, but in terms of appearance, they didn't look great. To help out with this I decided to put them into a separate dish, pour the sauce over and finish in the over for a few minutes to get a better looking dish.

That worked! Although it dirtied an extra dish, it was worth it as they were attractive enough to set on the table or serve to company without having to blindfold them (usually a plus for entertaining).

Another pressure cooker victory! Tasty, tender ribs in minutes.

Crabapple Glazed Ribs
Adapted from The Spice Ingredients Cookbook

1 rack pork baby back ribs
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion diced
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup crabapple jelly
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sambel olek

Heat the olive oil right in the pressure cooker. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to simmer. Arrange the ribs in a single layer in the pressure cooker. Secure the lid and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat (without losing pressure) and cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure drop on its own. Remove the ribs to a baking dish and pour remaining sauce over. Finish in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes.