Nothing says comfort and home cooking quite as easily as a dish prepared in the slow cooker. That means it is time for country-style pork ribs braised in a slow cooker.
We just returned from the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. We were surrounded by the latest in kitchen appliances, tools, cookware, bakeware and tools. Twenty-one hundred booths packed with fun! We dream about taking all of those new items home with us and cooking to our hearts delight. Alas, the items are on display for future sales to retail stores so we cannot actually buy them, but they are fun to see.
Just before I left for that show, my husband had been out of town for a couple weeks and was tired of restaurant meals. Home cooking was top of his list and yet, as usual, work, errands and life seem to derail the best of intentions. Do you ever feel that way? Slow cooker to the rescue.
Country-style pork ribs are readily available and are often on sale in the Midwest. I stock up when I go to Steve’s Meats in DeSoto, Kansas. It is a top-notch, old fashioned butcher and while it is a drive from my house, the quality meats from local farmers, cut to my liking and freezer wrapped make it my favorite. I bet if you look a bit and ask the local foodies, you, too can find a market like this in your part of the country.
Into the slow cooker they go. Please remember—do not cook pork ribs all day, for they will overcook and taste something like boot leather. Cook them until the meat is done and tender—which in a newer slow cooker is in just 5 or 6 hours on Low. I added my honey mustard glaze—but you can brush them with any favorite barbecue sauce.
Easy, home cooking. Get ready for finger lickin’ goodness.
Mustard and Beer Braised Country Pork Ribs
4 strips bacon
1 large, sweet onion, halved and sliced
3 pounds country style pork ribs
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup beer, preferably dark
Glaze:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp; remove bacon and set aside to drain, reserving drippings.
Add onion to drippings and cook, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Remove onions with a slotted spoon and place in a large, oval slow cooker.
Pat ribs dry. Place ribs in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned on each side (see tip below.) (Work in batches as necessary so ribs brown nicely and do not steam.) Drain and place browned ribs in slow cooker over onions.
Drizzle ribs with Worcestershire sauce. Combine garlic, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt and pepper; sprinkle over ribs. Sprinkle crisp bacon over ribs. Pour beer around ribs. Cover and cook on low setting 5 to 6 hours or until ribs are fully cooked and tender.
Place cooked ribs on a broiler pan. Combine Dijon mustard, brown sugar and honey in glass microwave safe bowl. Spoon out about half of the sauce and brush it generously over the ribs. Broil about 6 inches from direct heat for about 5 to 7 minutes or until edges are crispy and glaze has melted.
Microwave remaining sauce on High (100%) power for 1 minute or until hot and sugar dissolves, stirring midway through. Serve ribs with reserved sauce.
Makes 6 servings.
Tips:
We recommend using dry minced garlic in the slow cooker as the garlic flavor does not fade during the long cooking time the way fresh garlic will. The time to use fresh garlic, which we do often, is when cooking on the stove for shorter times. Dry minced garlic is coarse and granular—it is not finely powdered garlic powder (for the flavor of garlic powder will fade when slow cooking.) Look for dry minced garlic next to the garlic powder and garlic salt at the grocery store.
I browned them before placing them in the slow cooker. If time is short you do not have to do this, but the browning adds a depth of flavor that can’t be beat.
Omit the mustard glaze and brush ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce.
We just made these tonight for dinner! Super awesome and easy recipe! They are incredibly tender and so full of flavor! If you are an onion lover, like me, be sure to strain the onions out of your crock pot and put over the ribs before you put them under the broiler. Excellent recipe!! A hit with our family!