1/2medium Korean/Asian pearor 1 bosc pear or apple
7 to 8plump garlic cloves
3 to 4thin ginger slicesabout 1-inch round
6ouncesKorean radishomit if unavailable
3 to 4dried shiitake mushroomsbriefly soaked and quartered (omit if unavailable)
Sauce
1/2cupsoy sauce
1/4cuprice wineor dry white wine
4tablespoonshoneyor sugar - adjust to taste
pepper to taste
1tablespoonsesame oil
Garnish
2 to 3scallionsroughly chopped
Instructions
Trim off any excess fat. Rinse the ribs and let them sit in cold water for about 30 minutes to draw out excess blood. Drain well or pat dry with paper towels. Prepare the vegetables and pear by cutting into large chunks (about 1-1/2-inch pieces).
Place the ribs and vegetables and pear in the slow cooker. Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, honey (or sugar) and pepper, and pour over the ribs. Toss everything to coat with the sauce. Cover, and cook for 6 to 7 hours on high or 9 to 10 hours on low. Flip the ribs over midway through the process if you’re home. (Adjust the cooking time, depending on how tender you want your ribs to be.) Stir in the scallions and sesame oil.
Remove the ribs and vegetables from the slow cooker. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl to skim off the fat. I use a fat separator. Pour the sauce over the ribs to serve. (You can also cool it in the fridge or freezer until the fat solidifies to spoon off. Reheat the sauce.)