Mix up the marinade ingredients. Marinate the ribs in a large zip-loc bag for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, put the chicken broth, ginger, garlic and star anise in the slow cooker. Turn to high to warm up.
Heat a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and sear several minutes on each side until nice and brown. I just throw the remaining marinade in the slow cooker.
Add the browned ribs to the slow cooker. Drain any excess grease from the skillet. De-glaze the pan with a splash of red wine if desired and then pour it into the slow cooker. You can skip this part if you like.
Cook the ribs for abuot 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. The pork ribs are ready when they are fork tender.