Ingredients
1 rack baby back pork ribs, about 3 pounds
4 to 6 star-anise pods
Peels from 2 tangerines, coarsely chopped, plus more, chopped, for garnish
1 cup orange-blossom honey
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 knob fresh ginger (2 inches), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (available at Asian markets)
Preparation
Rinse ribs under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place ribs in a baking dish, sprinkle with star anise, and set aside.
In a blender, combine remaining ingredients and process until mixture is fairly smooth. Pour over ribs, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove ribs from refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Place covered dish in oven and cook 2 1/2 hours.
Remove ribs from oven. Remove foil and set aside. Baste ribs with sauce and return to oven, uncovered. Cook another 30 minutes.
Remove ribs from oven and tent with reserved foil. Allow to rest 15 minutes. Transfer rack to a cutting board and cut between bones. Serve with a sprinkle of tangerine peel.
