By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 12, 2026
Serves 4
989 cal · 200 min
Mapo Pork Ribs
Recipe GLPR7447db3c4c1eaf
Tender St. Louis-style pork ribs glazed with a savory-sweet sauce featuring soy, caramelized pear, apple, ginger, and garlic. The ribs are baked until fall-apart tender, then finished with a glossy, aromatic glaze topped with toasted sesame seeds and fresh scallions.
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Ingredients
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 Gala or Fuji apple, roughly chopped
1/3 Asian pear, roughly chopped
1/4 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (3-pound) rack St. Louis-style pork ribs
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, divided
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Combine soy sauce, turbinado sugar, light corn syrup, chopped apple, chopped pear, chopped onion, smashed garlic cloves, and sliced ginger in a blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Strain the marinade through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract all liquid. Discard solids.
Remove the membrane from the back of the pork ribs by sliding a thin knife under it and peeling it off. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, freshly ground black pepper, and ground cinnamon.
Rub the sesame oil mixture evenly over both sides of the pork ribs. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the blended marinade for the final glaze. Brush the remaining marinade all over the ribs, coating both sides thoroughly.
Place the ribs bone-side down on a large sheet of aluminum foil set on a baking sheet. Cover tightly with another sheet of foil to create a sealed packet.
Bake in a preheated 275°F oven for 2 hours, maintaining the sealed foil packet to trap steam and keep the ribs moist.
Carefully open the foil packet (watch for hot steam). Transfer the ribs to a clean baking sheet lined with parchment paper, discarding the cooking liquid. Brush the reserved marinade generously over the top of the ribs.
Return the ribs to the oven, uncovered, and bake at 325°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, brushing with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes, until the surface becomes caramelized and slightly charred at the edges.
Remove the ribs from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the ribs. Top with the reserved sliced scallions. Cut between the bones and serve immediately.
Comments
This is a solid weeknight-to-weekend braise that leans on pantry staples, though the 200-minute cook time is honest and non-negotiable—you cannot shortcut a tender rib. Soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds are standard at any Charlotte grocery chain (Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, Kroger), and fresh ginger, garlic, onion, and scallions are reliably available year-round. The real cost driver is the pork ribs themselves, which will run $12–18 for a good 3–4 pound rack depending on where you shop; the Asian pear is a minor line item and should appear at most chains but may require a quick scan at Harris Teeter or Publix if you hit a smaller location. The dish reheats beautifully and actually improves overnight, making it ideal for batch cooking or a Sunday project that feeds a family of four with zero fussiness once it goes in the oven.
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