Chinese-Style Ribs Recipe (with Video)

For the ribs
1. Mix together the garlic powder, ginger powder, salt, pepper, Chinese 5-spice powder, cinnamon and cloves in a small bowl.
2. Pat the ribs dry. Evenly coat them on both sides with the spice mix. If some falls off, that's okay.
3. For the slow cooker: Add 1 cup of water to the insert. Add the ribs so they're standing up on their side, leaning against the insert if necessary. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
4. For the Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to the insert. Add the ribs so they're standing up on their side, leaning against the insert if necessary (you'll have to curl them around into a circle or spiral). Lock on the lid, make sure it's sealed, and set the manual time for 20 minutes. When the time is done, hit the Cancel/Keep Warm button and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release any remaining pressure.
For the sauce
1. When the ribs are almost ready, combine the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, honey, molasses and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium heat and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
2. When the ribs are ready, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the ribs on the foil bone-side up (discard leftover water in the insert). Brush on some of the sauce and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the ribs look caramelized. Flip the ribs, brush on more sauce and broil for 3-4 minutes, until this side looks caramelized as well (broiling times might vary by oven setup so keep an eye on the ribs to make sure they don't burn).
3. Brush with one more layer of sauce on the meaty side of the ribs. Serve with any remaining sauce on the side to dip in or pour over.