Our post this week comes from Heather at "Mmm ... is for Mommy," who brings us this easy recipe for BBQ Ribs. We actually made these in our test kitchen using country style ribs that were on sale, and they came out amazing! They almost seemed TOO easy, and we thought surely they couldn't compare to slow-barbequed ribs on a grill. But they were tender and flavorful, minus the hours of tending a grill. Leave a comment below if you try this recipe, and what you think!
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I've never cooked ribs before. It's something I've left to the pros, like my favourite, favourite, favourite BBQ joint, Boneheads BBQ. When we were out shopping Thursday night though, there was a pretty good deal on some small packs of pork back ribs, so I decided to give it a go. Friday morning, I remembered that there was a barbecue rib recipe in my new America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook and I knew it was going to be what I used. Like most good slow cooker recipes, this one does have a couple extra steps, but I loved that the extra steps were after the slow cooking, not before, because sometimes my cooking skills at 8 AM are not the sharpest.
Now comes the only stove/oven work involved, we need to reduce the sauce and then brown the ribs under the broiler. These steps are what turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, so don't you dare skip them even if your ribs already look pretty good. Once the initial slow cooking is done, very carefully (as they are tennnnderrrrr) remove the ribs to a baking pan which you have lined with foil and put a rack on (like in my photo collage), bone side up. Set to the side. Skim any fat that has risen to the top and strain all of the remaining juices from the slow cooker through a mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Bring to boil and allow to simmer and reduce by about a third, approximately 15 minutes. Put your oven's broiler on to heat up and make sure that there is an oven rack about 10 inches below the broiler element. When the broiler is preheated, brush the ribs with sauce and broil for 3 or 4 minutes. Take them out and very carefully flip them over, brush with sauce and broil again, meat side up, for approximately 9 minutes, taking them out once or twice (I did only once because I forgot) to baste with more sauce. Serve any remaining sauce on the side with the ribs.
Hubby loved these ribs so much he said now he knows what he'll request when he is offered the meal of his choice... he normally has a hard time making up his mind when offered, so that really means something.
Enjoy!
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Read more at "Mmm ... is for Mommy. CLICK HERE! Awesome recipes for busy moms, and foods that kids and husbands alike will love.