Cooking Ribs In Crock Pot

Are you ready for some crock pot ribs that are tender, juicy and moist and fall off the bone?  Well, I have the perfect recipe for you.  Just so you know, crock pot ribs are not the same as barbecuing ribs.  Most times I don’t have time to barbecue ribs on the grill plus I prefer the tenderness that I get from cooking them in my Rival 6.5 quart Crock Pot.

Crock-pots are an essential appliance that any serious cook must have in their kitchen, especially if you’re as busy as I am most of the time.  I can start cooking my slab of ribs before leaving for work and it will be all ready by the time I come home.

As far as crock-pot cooking is concerned I love my Rival because its roomy enough to easily hold all of my ribs.  It has two heat settings as well as a setting that allows me to keep my ribs warm after they’re done.  It also has an auto-protect safety feature to help protect me against accidentally setting my kitchen on fire.  The most important thing is that its easy to clean when done – slow cooking ribs can get a bit messy.

Ribs and Bibs

You’re gonna need a rack of spare ribs, also baby back ribs will do but I feel that the recipe that I will share with you today works best with pork spare ribs because they are much more meaty.  Take the ribs out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before you plan on cooking them.  It’s always a good idea to remove the thin membrane that is on the back of the ribs.  You’ll know which membrane I’m talking about because it extremely thin and translucent.

The purpose of removing the membrane is so that the ribs will better absorb the rub and be much more tender. To easily remove the membrane on the back of the ribs just slide a sharp knife under it and then grab with your hand and pull it off.  Sometimes it can be a slippery as a fish so you may want to grab a clean towel to help you get it off and the effort is well worth it.

The Dry Rub Recipe That Rocks

There are many dry rub recipes that you can make and pre-packaged rubs already on the Internet so you can use one that you find or you can feel free to use the one I use. There are also many pre-made rubs as well but they don’t allow a lot of room for creativity.  Here’s the rub that I like to use:

  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of Colman’s dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon of Ray’s Brand granulated garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons of Domino pure cane brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon of Tone’s Spices ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of La Dalia smoked paprika in the blue and white tin with a big red flower
  • 1 teaspoon of Tone’s onion powder

Cooking Ribs in Your Crock-Pot

Depending on how large your slab of ribs are you may enough rub for another dish.  Be sure to save the excess in a small jar container because its just as good as other stuff.  Now you want to rub those ribs on each size and let it sit for approximately 15 -20 minutes.  Next, cut your ribs into small sections (3 bones wide) so that they will easily fit into your slow cooker.

Next get you a large onion and cut it into quarters.  You also need one can of your favorite beer or the alcohol bothers you then you can always use a coke or whichever brand of soda that works for you.  Place your sectioned ribs in the crock-pot and then put the onions and the pour the beer around the rim of the crock-pot (be sure not to wash away the rub from your meat).  Now place your lid on and set your crock-pot on “High” for at least 6 hours and then switch it to the low temperature for another 2 hours.  DO NOT REMOVE THE LID AT ALL DURING THE COOKING CYCLE.  This is what makes crock-pot cooking so wonderful because you can start the meal early in morning and then go about your day as normal.

What to Do with Your Cooked Ribs

When your cooking cycle is over, carefully remove your tender and tasty ribs from the crock-pot with a pair of tongs.  I promise you this will be the the most tender and flavorful ribs you have ever tasted. (be careful not to let them fall apart while removing them from the pot).  Place the cooked ribs on a cooking sheet lined with foil.  You’ll need a brush and BBQ sauce.  You can either make your own or use the brand I like which is Sweet Baby Ray’s Original.  Just brush a liberal amount of your favorite bbq sauce on the top of your cooked ribs.  Now place your sauced ribs that are on your cooking sheet in the oven for approximately 5 minutes or until the sauce forms a good crust on your ribs.

Cooking these ribs in your crock-pot will never disappoint your family or friends – I promise.  If there’s any leftover (I doubt it) they will taste even better the next day after the rub has had even more chance to settle in.  You can also pull the meat off the bone and prepare the most delicious pull-pork sandwich.  Ribs always pair well with a nice tossed salad, bake beans and garlic bread.

Bon Apetite’

 


 

Related posts:

  1. Crock Pot Cooking – Slow Cooking Your Way to Success