Crave ribs?
Let a slow cooker do all the work
“Ribs” should never be a four-letter word. They represent everything that is great about meat: They have an amazing, instantly recognizable flavor that is hearty yet mild at the same time.
They are tender, but also have just the right amount of chew. They taste wonderful on their own, but they also pair spectacularly well with any number of sauces.
And they are practically impossible to cook badly.
And yet, a lot of people find them daunting, or too much work. Ribs are something they only order at a restaurant, preferably a barbecue joint.
Cooking ribs in a slow cooker takes more time than any other method, but it’s time that you can spend away from the kitchen, if you like. You just rub the ribs with spices, plop them in the slow cooker and forget about them — until the enticing aroma reminds you that dinner is almost done.
They come out tender, but with just enough resistance to your bite, and have a delectable flavor, meaty and full.
What are the different cuts of ribs?
The most popular ribs are baby back ribs, which come from the top part of the rib cage. They have the most meat of all the rib cuts, and are also the quickest and easiest to cook.
Spareribs are cut just below the baby back ribs. They have more marbling between the bones, and thus more flavor, but they also are not as tender as the baby backs.
St. Louis-style ribs are essentially spareribs, but are cut shorter so they don’t have the rib tips on the bottom. Rib tips are the toughest part of the ribs.
What about country-style ribs?
Country-style ribs are not ribs (you can tell because they are not attached to a bone). They are actually cut from the pork butt, which is to say the shoulder. They are sometimes inaccurately lumped in with ribs because they, like ribs, have to be cooked at a low temperature for a relatively long time.
SLOW-COOKER RIBS
3 racks baby back ribs or 2 racks spareribs
1/4 c. spice rub
Coat both sides of the ribs with the spice rub and rub it into the meat. Do not remove the membrane. Place the ribs, standing vertically, in a large slow cooker (an oval-shaped cooker will work best). You may have to cut rack into pieces to fit them in. A small slow cooker will fit 1 rack.
Cook 4 to 5 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low. The ribs are done when the meat is tender, it has pulled away from the bone by about O inch and its internal temperature is 195 degrees. Makes 6 servings.
(Recipe by Daniel Neman)
SPICE RUB
2 T. paprika 2 T. packed light brown
sugar
1 T. salt
2 t. chili powder
1K t. garlic powder
1K t. pepper
1K t. onion powder
K t. cayenne pepper, see
note
K t. dried thyme
Note: This recipe makes a moderately spicy rub. If you want it spicier, use 1K t. cayenne pepper. If you want it mild, eliminate the cayenne.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Makes about K cup.
(Recipe from “The Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book” by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen.)