Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

the finished ribs, pulled out from under the oven broiler

One of my favorite things to do in the whole world is to surprise my husband with a nice homemade dinner, and it just so happens that he especially loves beef, pork, and more beef. I've been wanting to make him slow cooker ribs for ages, and last night was just the perfect night to eat fall-off-the-bone ribs. I stopped at the grocery on the way home after a stretch of night shifts, and had the slow cooker set within ten minutes. I then snoozed while this delicious recipe was simmering in the kitchen.

straight out of the slow cooker, before broiling, the meat just falling off the bones

You finish the ribs at the end, which was perfect since I was rested and ready for our date night. These ribs were fantastic, and EASY. I got the recipe from another blog, and she scaled the recipe down for 2 people. The whole recipe serves 6, and to make the whole recipe just follow the amount in (parenthesis). 

I served the ribs with baked potatoes and cast iron skillet succotash, and we watched a really great Jamie Foxx movie called The Soloist. 

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
from this blog

1.5 Tbsp (3 Tbsp) sweet paprika
1 Tbsp (2 Tbsp) lightly packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp (1/4 tsp) cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste (I used 1 tsp of each)
2 lbs baby back pork ribs (6 lbs) - leave the membrane on the ribs to help hold them together
1 cup BBQ sauce (3 cups)
Vegetable oil spray

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and S/P. Rub this mixture all over both sides of the ribs. Spray walls of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Arrange ribs in the slow cooker by standing them up against the wall of the pot, with the thicker side down and meaty side against the pot. Pour BBQ sauce over the ribs, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

To finish the ribs, we need to reduce the sauce and then brown the ribs under the broiler. Very carefully, remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place on a foil-lined baking pan with a rack on top, ribs with bone side up. Set aside. Skim any fat that has risen to the top of the sauce and strain all the remaining juices from the slow cooker through a mesh strainer into a small saucepan.

Bring sauce to a boil and allow to simmer and reduce by a third, approx 15 minutes. Put your ovens broiler on to heat up and make sure the oven rack is about 10 inches below the broiler element. When the broiler is preheated, brush the ribs with sauce (meat side down) and broil for 3 or 4 minutes. Take them out and very carefully flip them over, brush with sauce and broil again, this time meat side up, for approximately 9 minutes, taking them out twice to baste with more sauce. Serve any remaining sauce on the side with the ribs.