Ribs Rubbed Right

Crockpot cooking is easy, but ours has been on hiatus, since warm weather meals are often salads or grilled foods.

Until last week, when we bought a package of boneless country-style pork ribs. I had read that these were great cooked in a crockpot with a few added ingredients — barbecue sauce, sliced onions and rubbed with spices of your choice, which makes the ribs extra flavorful. While there are lots of choices on what rub to use, mine included brown sugar, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder.

Crock Pot Country Style Ribs

• 4-6  lbs. country-style ribs  (ours were bone-in)
• 8 oz. barbecue sauce
• 1 onion, cut in slices
• 3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

The Rub

• 1/2 TBSP paprika
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 1TBSP  ground kosher salt
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1TBSP garlic powder

Put onions in bottom of crockpot, dry off ribs. Mix dry rub ingredient together. Rub the ribs with Worcestershire sauce, then with the rub. Criss-cross the ribs in layers in crockpot. Pour barbecue sauce in and cover. Set crockpot on LOW 6-8 hours; HIGH 3-4 hours if you’re in a hurry, but for this meal, low and slow is best.

The ribs were served with these easy side dishes (the recipes were posted before, but repeating means no links to another post.)

Classic Slaw

Buy a bag or prepared Cole Slaw mix which is SO much easier then shredding everything by hand. Then, just make the dressing:

• 1/2 C mayonnaise
• 2 TBSP rice vinegar
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 TBSP milk 
• 1 tsp ground celery seed
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt

Whisk ingredients in small bowl. Let sit 15-20 minutes so flavors blend. Stir just before adding to salad.

Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad

• 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced (seedless if available)
• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 C rice vinegar
• 1 TBSP minced fresh dill or ½ tsp dried dill weed
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Gently toss together ingredients until evenly coated. Place in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Gently toss again before serving.

Dinner was great — leftovers were even better !