Asian Country Pork Ribs with Vegetable Fried Rice

Is it any wonder that rice is actually a staple in many parts of the world?  It is so versatile, inexpensive (if you stick with long grain variety) and comfortingly good, both for you and in taste!  One of my favorite nights of the week is always the one after I have had rice for dinner because it's the ideal time to make fried rice.  You really want to use day old rice that has had the chance to dry out a bit so it does not stick together when fried.  Instead of making the traditional pork fried rice, I used the rice to make a simple vegetable fried rice side dish and incorporated an Asian flavors in these slow cooked country ribs for an easy meal that does not taste at all like leftovers. 

Asian Country Pork Ribs
1 package country pork ribs
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup bottled smokey bbq sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Season pork ribs with salt, pepper and garlic powder, wrap in foil and bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 2 hours. Meanwhile, combine garlic, ginger, bbq sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin and sesame oil in a bowl.  After 2 hours, carefully unwrap the pork ribs and baste one side with the bbq sauce.  Return to the oven for 30 minutes, uncovered.  Turn over, baste the other side of the pork ribs and cook for a final 30 minutes.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. 

Vegetable Fried Rice
1 cup rice, day old
1 egg
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey

In a large skillet or wok, heat several tablespoons of canola oil the garlic and ginger over gentle heat until it sizzles.  Turn up heat to medium high and add rice, stir frying constantly.  Make a well in the center of the rice by pushing it out to the side of the pan and add the egg in the center of the well.  Scramble the egg and gradually incorporate it into the rice. Combine soy sauce, hot sauce, rice vinegar and honey and add it to the pan.  Stir fry to evenly distribute the sauce over the rice and let cook for a minute or two until well combined and heated through.  Turn off heat and add carrots and cabbage (I add them off the heat so they wilt slightly but still maintain crunchiness) and stir to combine well.  Serve immediately and garnish with green onions.