Fall-Off-The-Bone Slow Cooker Ribs

You know, it’s easy to get caught up in life so much that we lose the perspective of seeing how blessed we each are. Sure, we ALL have problems, but we each are offered blessings every single day – though they might not come packaged where we can see them as such.



Each day on my way to work, I pass a small church in an urban part of the city that is known to have higher instances of crime and poverty. On Thursdays each week, they have a food pantry set up outside of the church with rows and rows of tables of food. It seems every week that line gets longer and longer. Last week, the line went through the parking lot of the church and down the street a good way. For many, I would imagine this is there only source of groceries to feed their families. While most people look at that as charity or a hand-out, those people look at it as a blessing to be able to fill the stomachs and nourish the bodies of their families. Putting food on the table is a luxury for many, but something so many of us take for granted. We’re concerned with chicken or steak while others are begging for rice.

This weekend, Heather, Jack ,and I were meandering through the grocery store getting some things we needed. A couple times Heather and I picked up something, but after a brief discussion about how expensive it was, we put it back – like most families, we’re on a budget. It’s tough to look at something and decide that money is the reason you can’t have it. But in that moment of feeling sorry for myself, I realized that I could be the one standing out in the heat in the long meandering line hoping and praying for the generosity of someone else. Instead, I was pushing a cart around inside an air-conditioned store. Sure, we can’t have it all, but if you’re lucky enough to be able to put food on the table for your family, you’re luckier than 842 million people in this world that go hungry every day. Now that, is a blessing.

I encourage you to consider helping out where you can. Please make a donation to your local food bank. Every little bit helps.


MY OTHER RECIPES




I don’t have a smoker, so I’ve always made my ribs by braising them in liquid in the oven, then putting them on the grill right before I serve them to get them charred and crispy. This method yields delicious, juicy ribs that simply fall off the bone. The thing is, the whole braising process can be a little time consuming and messy. Well, when my buddy Brandie over at The Country Cook posted her recipe for Crock Pot BBQ Ribs, I got to wondering about adapting my recipe for the slow cooker. Man, am I glad I did!!! These ribs turned out juicy and literally falling off the bone tender. In fact, I had to try and put some of them back together to take the photo. They are filled with flavor and that last few minutes on the grill, really makes them delicious. Y’all just have to try these!

Fall-Off-The-Bone Slow Cooker Ribs




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Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 4 hours 15 mins

Total time: 4 hours 35 mins

Serves: 1 rack of ribs

Ingredients: 

About 3 pounds baby back ribs
rib rub
½ cup apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup soy sauce
1½ tsp liquid smoke
barbecue sauce

Instructions

Trim the ribs and cut the rack into 4 sections. Rub the ribs generously with your favorite rib rub. If you don't have a rib rub, salt, pepper, and garlic powder will work just fine. Allowing the ribs to sit in the refrigerator a while (even overnight) will add more flavor, but it isn't required.
Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, and liquid smoke together and pour it into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the rib sections, spreading them around the bowl of the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until tender and you can see the meat separating from the bone.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Coat the ribs with the barbecue sauce and grill for 15 minutes, turning once, or until the barbecue sauce is charred a bit.


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