When barbecue season rolls around yet again, all you want to do is whip up those tasty BBQ recipes you spend the winter dreaming about. Steak, brisket, and of course…ribs…give them to me now! the problem for a lot of people is that it’s not always easy pulling off these meals that require outdoor space, skill or equipment. Some people just don’t have a low n’ slow meat smoker, nor even tan area to put one.
Well fear not! There’s a simple yet tasty ribs recipe that requires only a slow-cooker!
The humble crock-pot has never been so useful!
The recipe comes from YouTube cooking channel “Burning Cereal“, led by the man, the myth, the legend himself: Rusty.
It’s so dang easy that you’ll be able to impress your whole family with next to no investment in equipment or skill. Let’s get into it!
What you’ll need:
- 2x cups brown sugar
- 1x tbls Cayenne pepper
- 1x tbls Garlic Powder
- 1x tbls Black pepper
- 1x tbls Onion Powder
- 1x tbls Paprika
- 1x tbls Salt
- 3x lbs Pork ribs
- 2x liters Coca-Cola (Or lower sugar apple-juice)
A point of difference, warning, this is NOT a “healthy” recipe!
While it’s not uncommon to use Cola in a BBQ recipe, it plays a large part in Rusty’s recipe. It offers the phosphoric acid that helps to make that pork super tender and “fall-apart” soft. If you’re concerned about the level of sugar in the recipe, I suggest you find some lower sugar apple juice or pineapple juice as a replacement. These don’t have the same levels of phosphoric acid, but will keep it juicy and add a complimentary flavor.
Mix that rub!
Combine all of your ingredients in a large bowl. You’re going to want to make sure that your brown sugar doesn’t clump. If you’re like Rusty and I, you may want to spend some time making sure it’s all really well mixed together.
Rub that rub!
With this recipe, you’ll get to rub it in twice. First, you’ll get to rub your pork with this delicious spice rub, then you’ll get to rub it in to all your friends that you can cook a more delicious rack of ribs with half the effort! Gently massage the spice mix into the surface of the meat, making sure it’s evenly covered.
Place it in the ol’ slow cooker!
Gently place your pork ribs into the crock-pot, evenly in the space.
Add your liquid!
Pour in the coke, but avoid pouring it directly onto the pork lest you wash off all that delicious rub you’ve just massaged in. The coke will fizz a lot as it reacts, so just wait for it to die down. This is also when you place in your apple juice if you’re using that instead. If you’re not concerned about the sugar levels, Rusty likes to sprinkle in a little extra brown sugar at this point too.
Let the slow cooker…cook…slowly…
Cook your ribs on low for six hours. That’s plenty of time to pop onto social media and begin bragging about how well your ribs are going, as that should only take about five and a half hours to do if you do it right. One of Rusty’s slow-cooker tips: Don’t open the lid for at least the first hour. Before the six hours is up, preheat your oven on broiler mode.
Then, it’s time to get bastey!
Carefully removing your ribs from the liquid in the slow-cooker, place your ribs on a tray lined with tinfoil. Baste each side with as much or as little BBQ sauce as you want. Then throw them in that pre-heated broiler for ten minutes.
Then you’ve got yourself some tasty ribs!
When you pull your ribs out, they should be succulent, sweet and spicy. Well done, you’ve just shown your pals up without even trying very hard! Congratulate yourself with a bite of these ribs which should fall right of the bone.
Watch the full video below to see Rusty do it himself!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
