There is no substitute for real barbecued ribs flavored with hardwood smoke cooked outdoors, but if you can't cook outdoors, you can do pretty well in the oven. If you don't have an oven, you can make pretty tasty ribs in a slow cooker.
Slow cookers adhere to the same principles as good outdoor barbecue cookers: Low and slow heat in a moist atmosphere. But don't just throw in a slab and a bottle of sauce. Make just little effort and you will be rewarded with this meat, potatoes, and veggie meal in one pot.
This recipe is so simple. The ribs steam in flavorful aromatics, the sauce penetrates the meat, and they fall off the bone. You can use a store bought sauce or make your own. Even a displaced Alabama girl stuck in a University of Minnesota dorm during a blizzard will feel like she's back on the farm if you serve her this ribs recipe alongside Pillsbury Buttermilk Flavored Biscuits, deli counter coleslaw, and Sara Lee Peach Pie.
Serves. 2
Preparation time. 30 minutes
Crockpot cooking time. 4-8 hours
Ingredients
1 rack of baby back ribs
1 large onion, sliced into slivers
4 carrots cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into bite-size pieces
1 crunchy apple, peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup Kansas City style tomato based barbecue sauce (try my Kansas City Classic or Eve's Pig Paint)
Option. 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
About slow cookers. Slow cookers come in a wide range of sizes. If yours is large enough to hold two slabs, just double the recipe. This recipe is designed for a slow cooker that uses heating coils all around a removeable ceramic pot such as the Rival Crock-Pot, West Bend Crockery Cookers, KitchenAid Slow Cooker, and Cuisinart Slow Cooker. Rival trademarked the name Crock-Pot. Some crockery cookers are nothing more than a hot plate with a crock on top. These heat from below only, and will likely burn the sweet sauce. If you don't have a ceramic slow cooker, you can use a Dutch oven or even a baking pan covered with foil and put it in your oven at 200F.
About the ribs. I have specified baby back ribs above because one slab can be enough for two people, and because they are lower fat than spares. If you wish, you can use spares, rib tips, country ribs, and even chops. Use about 1.5 pounds per person of the boney cust (spares, tips), or 1 popunds per serson of the meatier cuts (country ribs and chops).
About the sauce. Doctor the sauce as you see fit. Add a teaspoon of hot sauce or a minced hot peppers. Try a tablespoon of matchsticked ginger slivers. If you want it sweeter, add 2 tablespoons of honey or molasses or even your favorite jelly for a fruity flash. I ike to garnish with chopped scallions. Another option: Liquid smoke (see the next note, below).
About liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is made by catching the smoke from smoldering hardwood, concentrating it, and dissolving it in alcohol. Many commercial barbecue sauces already have a nice jolt of iquid smoke in them. If you are using a commercial sauce, taste the sauce and if it tastes smoky, leave the liquid smoke out of the recipe. If you want more, add up to 1 tablespoon.
Do this
1) Skin and trim. Slice into 2-3 rib sections. Optional. If you have a broiler, place the meat about 6" under the broiler for about 15 minutes per side until brown. Keep an eye on them because they can start smoking in a very hot broiler. If you don't have a broiler, don't sweat it. The little bit of flavor added by browning will not be missed.
2) Mix the liquid smoke with the barbecue sauce.
3) Line the bottom of the crockpot with the onion slices, carrots, apples, and potatoes. Place a layer of ribs on top, meaty side up. Pour some of the sauce over the ribs and coat the surface with a brush, spoon, or your (clean) fingers. Place another layer of ribs on top of the first layer, pour on more sauce, and spread. Keep going until all the ribs are in. Pour the remaining sauce on top. Resist the temptation to put the meat on the bottom. It will just get mushy.
3) Cover and cook on low (about 200F) for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Leave the lid on! Resist the temptation to peek. Opening the lid lets a lot of heat escape and slows down the cooking, some say 20 minutes per peek. The same rule we use for outdoor barbecue applies: If you're lookin, you ain't cookin.
4) When you're done you will notice that the sauce is not as thick as when you started. A lot of the juices from the meat and other gredients will be extracted and you'll have a rich, but runny sauce. If you have a stovetop, you can cook it down and thicken it, but I never bother. The thin sauce is concentrated in flavor and delicious.
5) Divide the meat and other stuff between the diners, pour off the sauce, and serve it on the side.
This page was updated 1/14/2008
