Slow-Cooked Ribs

Sunday was forecast to be cold and blustery so it seemed like a good day to break out the slow cooker.  This turned out to be an excellent idea.  I made these ribs by improvising from several online recipes found when "crock pot ribs" was googled and accommodating ingredients I had on hand.  They were really easy to make, only used two exotic ingredients, and were delicious.

Step 1:

2 lbs baby back ribs
salt
pepper

Turn on the broiler.  Cut the ribs into pieces small enough to fit in a crock pot.  3-4 inches across should do.  Salt and pepper both sides of the rib chunks.  Cook in broiler for ten minutes.  Flip and cook another ten minutes.  This gives the ribs a nice char and gets rid of some fat.

Step 2:

Mix these liquids:

1/2 c  maple syrup (the cheaper dark kind is best)
1/2 c  apple cider
3 TBS  cider vinegar

Step 3:

Combine these dry ingredients:

1/2 c  lapsang souchong tea, finely ground
2 TBS  sweet paprika
1 tsp  urfa pepper
1 tsp  salt
1 tsp  black pepper
1 tsp  cumin
1 tsp  dried oregano
1/2 tsp  dry mustard

Lapsang souchong is an intensely smoky tea.  It smells like the ashes in a fireplace and imparts a smoky flavor to the ribs.  Most any tea shop will have it.  If not look for Russian Caravan, which is a blend of Lapsan souchong and another tea.  Urfa pepper is a smoky, earthy pepper from Turkey.  I've found it at spice markets and Middle Eastern shops.  If you can't find it I imagine adding a little more paprika, or even a pinch of chipotle pepper would be a fine substitute.

Step 4:

1 onion
3 cloves garlic

Slice the onion into four thick slices and peel.  Peel the garlic.

Step 5:

Turn the crock pot on to low.  Line the bottom with the onion slices.  Pour a little liquid over the onion and top with a bit of the dry mixture.  Add a layer of ribs.  Add liquid and dry mixture.  Top with garlic cloves.  Repeat layering until the ingredients run out.  Put the cover on the slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours.

Step 6:

Enjoy!

Comments

[JohnIQ]

жёшь!

[Dane]

I am completely impressed with you. I've never done any meat dish of any kind. Slow cooker or not, this looks like a pretty big deal to me.

[Romy]

Aw gee, Joe, you NEVER make this for ME!

[jeff]

watch out Amy Ruth!

J.

[joe]

Dane: This was a lot easier than making cookies. To make it even simpler mix the dry and liquid ingredients and pour over the ribs.

Romy: You come up here and I'll make an extra meaty batch just for you!

Jeff: Amy Ruth still has me beat on the fried chicken.

[Dane]

There's nothing easier than making cookies! I still have three batches of dough in the fridge(And I notice you didn't offer to make these for me ... hmph).

[joe]

If you come visit me at the same time as Romy you can have her share! Inside joke: Romy's a vegetarian.

[Romy]

What I really really want is either a pecan pie, a chocolate pecan pie, or some of those really good chocolate cookies (I think with coconut in them?) that you sent me for my birthday one year.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze????

[Joe]

A pecan pie?