Slow Cooker Texan BBQ Beef Ribs
With our freezer freshly stocked it was time to reap the benefits of our grass fed beef. Sitting on top of the pile were a couple packages of meaty ribs — perfect for a casual Friday night dinner with my favourite man. The original recipe for the BBQ sauce came from Cooks Illustrated, but as usual it required some tweaking to work in the slow cooker.
The alluring aromas emanating from the slow cooker on that day were too much for my hubby to resist — when I got home from work he came clean about sampling a rib! I can’t say I blamed him. Even after dinner, with a belly full of ribs, it was a challenge to save a few ribs to snack on the next day.
As a bonus, you can use the extra cooking juices as a rib dip, or as a base to cook a pot of spicy chilli.
Slow Cooker Texan BBQ Beef Ribs
Prep:
15 minutes
Cook:
4 hours (low) or 2 hours (high)
Yield: 4 servings (prepared in a 6.5 quart slow cooker)
- 1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 4 1⁄2 tsp chilli powder
- 3 1⁄2 lbs beef ribs (cut into single-bone pieces)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1⁄4 cup minced onion
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 1⁄4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1⁄2 tsp powdered mustard (mixed in 1 tbsp of water)
- 2 tbsp molasses (not blackstrap)
Mix cayenne, 1½ teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper and 3 teaspoons of chilli powder, in small bowl. Rub the ribs evenly with spice mixture and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour (or cover and refrigerate overnight).
Transfer the ribs to your slow cooker insert, making sure to place them meat-side down.
Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it’s foaming. Add onion and cook until it’s softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and remaining 1½ teaspoons chilli powder until fragrant.
Add tomato juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, molasses, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer before pouring over the ribs.
Cook on low for 4 hours (or high for 2 hours).
