Sometimes, I am at a total loss at what to write about our meals. Today certainly qualifies as one of those times. Um...yeah. Blank. I've got nothing. Sorry, I am usually pretty verbose, but today...Nada. Rather than blathering on about how I have nothing remotely interesting to say, I will just state the facts.
1) We are having pork ribs for dinner.
2) I am doctoring up a can of baked beans to go with it...just like mom used to make.
3) I don't even have a third sentence to write; except for the fact that my "v" key is sticking on my keyboard and it's ticking me off. Wondering why my "v" key is sticking is a whole other issue, but I am sure it has to do with a 3 year old. (I guess I did have a third sentence, afterall.)
4) Oh...and a side of steamed eggies...I mean VEGGIES. Sorry.
Jen's Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Ribs
Ingredients:
cooking spray
6-8 bone in pork loin ribs (boneless works well, too)
1 bottle of your favorite beer
4 smashed cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of BBQ sauce, your choice
Directions:
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place ribs in slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic powder. Add smashed garlic cloves on top of ribs. Cover ribs with beer. Cook on high for 2-4 hours (my slow cooker runs hot so I am cooking for 2 hours on high). When time is up, remove pork ribs to a clean platter. Pour most of the beer out of the slow cooker, leaving 1/2 cup behind in the slow cooker. Discard the rest of the beer. Add ribs back into slow cooker. Cover meat with BBQ sauce. Cook on high for an additional hour or until ribs are thoroughly cooked.
**************************************
Here is my baked beans recipe. Just like mom used to make...yada, yada, yada.
Jen's Baked Beans
Ingredients:
1-2 cans of Bush's Original Baked Beans
1/2 medium onion, diced
yellow mustard to taste
brown sugar to taste
maple syrup to taste
pinch of salt
Directions:
Combine beans and onion into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients to taste, adjusting for sweetness/mustardiness as you go. (I add a little of each at a time, taste, and then readjust until I like the flavor.)(There has never been a precise recipe for these beans...that is just how my mom rolled.) Heat all ingredients through until hot and serve.
PS-THANKS FOR THE BEER, BETH!!!!!
Showing posts with label ribs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ribs. Show all posts
June 23, 2009
May 17, 2009
Jen's Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Ribs with Favorite Mac and Cheese
I found some bone-in country style pork loin ribs on sale the other day for a song. Seriously, two packages of ribs were $3 total. I love a bargain, so I could not resist! I decided to adapt my mom's BBQ rib recipe to the slow cooker, and see what happens.
Typically, my mom starts her recipe by boiling her ribs in a seasoned beer mixture first. After the ribs are partially cooked, she takes them out of their beer bath, slathers them with BBQ sauce, then grills 'em up. They are sooooo fall-off-the-bone tender and delicious...yum! I haven't had her ribs in quite awhile, and they sound so good. I decided to go a less traditional route and try the same idea in the slow cooker. It is about a billion and a half degrees here today in Phoenix (not really...but it is darn hot), and I did not want to heat up my kitchen. Also, we have "family swimming fun" planned after my son's nap, so I certainly don't want to babysit dinner. I would rather goof around in the pool.
I think I will serve my ribs with a side salad, some Favorite Mac and Cheese, and a veggie of some sort. Dinner cannot come soon enough!!!
Here is the link to my mac and cheese recipe:
Favorite Mac and Cheese
Now on to the ribs...
Jen's Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Ribs
Ingredients:
cooking spray
6-8 bone in pork loin ribs
1 bottle of your favorite beer
4 smashed cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of BBQ sauce, your choice
Directions:
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place ribs in slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic powder. Add smashed garlic cloves on top of ribs. Cover ribs with beer. Cook on high for 2-4 hours (my slow cooker runs hot so I am cooking for 2 hours on high). When time is up, remove pork ribs to a clean platter. Pour most of the beer out of the slow cooker, leaving 1/2 cup behind in the slow cooker. Discard the rest of the beer. Add ribs back into slow cooker. Cover meat with BBQ sauce. Cook on high for an additional hour or until ribs are thoroughly cooked.
The Result:
I forgot to take a photo...oops!!! This turned out really good. I am pleased with the effort, for sure. It did not have that "grilled" flavor, but overall it was satisfying. The meat was still tender and juicy; plus, it soaked up the flavors of the spices and beer nicely. I will definitely make this version again.
Typically, my mom starts her recipe by boiling her ribs in a seasoned beer mixture first. After the ribs are partially cooked, she takes them out of their beer bath, slathers them with BBQ sauce, then grills 'em up. They are sooooo fall-off-the-bone tender and delicious...yum! I haven't had her ribs in quite awhile, and they sound so good. I decided to go a less traditional route and try the same idea in the slow cooker. It is about a billion and a half degrees here today in Phoenix (not really...but it is darn hot), and I did not want to heat up my kitchen. Also, we have "family swimming fun" planned after my son's nap, so I certainly don't want to babysit dinner. I would rather goof around in the pool.
I think I will serve my ribs with a side salad, some Favorite Mac and Cheese, and a veggie of some sort. Dinner cannot come soon enough!!!
Here is the link to my mac and cheese recipe:
Favorite Mac and Cheese
Now on to the ribs...
Jen's Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Ribs
Ingredients:
cooking spray
6-8 bone in pork loin ribs
1 bottle of your favorite beer
4 smashed cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of BBQ sauce, your choice
Directions:
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place ribs in slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic powder. Add smashed garlic cloves on top of ribs. Cover ribs with beer. Cook on high for 2-4 hours (my slow cooker runs hot so I am cooking for 2 hours on high). When time is up, remove pork ribs to a clean platter. Pour most of the beer out of the slow cooker, leaving 1/2 cup behind in the slow cooker. Discard the rest of the beer. Add ribs back into slow cooker. Cover meat with BBQ sauce. Cook on high for an additional hour or until ribs are thoroughly cooked.
The Result:
I forgot to take a photo...oops!!! This turned out really good. I am pleased with the effort, for sure. It did not have that "grilled" flavor, but overall it was satisfying. The meat was still tender and juicy; plus, it soaked up the flavors of the spices and beer nicely. I will definitely make this version again.
August 20, 2008
Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Gal-Bi): Adapted for the Slow Cooker
For some reason, I am have been head-over-heels in love with my crock pot, lately. I am rediscovering the honeymoon phase of our relationship...my slow cooker is perfect. I love the freedom it gives my afternoons. I love the good, home cooking type of smells that it emanates. I love that it does not heat up my house...which, by the way, is very important during a nasty Phoenix summer. I love the sleek chrome finish. I love it's size. I love that it can accomodate any thing I throw into it. I love that it makes my husband think I have been slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon but in fact I was sitting on the couch watching Oprah. Yes, that was a run-on sentence. I love how easy it is to clean. Oh, slow cooker...if I were not already married....
But I digress.
Once again, back to my recipe. I am doing some creative cooking today (i.e. improvising). I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I am adapting it to my needs (i.e. my gorgeous slow cooker...hello, lover).
I will post the original recipe, but then include my changes in the notes at the bottom of the post. I added a couple extra tidbits that were not in the recipe and I have to stretch the meat component. I only have a total of 3 short ribs, so I am going to make an extra side dish. I want to make sure there is enough leftovers for the husbands lunch tomorrow.
I think I will serve this dish with white rice, stir fried veggies, and some baked spring rolls. Since we have never tried this version of short ribs before, I will review the results later.
Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Gal-Bi)
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 large onion, minced
3 pounds Korean-style short
ribs (beef chuck flank end, cut
1/3 to 1/2 inch thick across
bones)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour soy sauce, water, and vinegar into a large, non-metallic bowl. Whisk in brown sugar, white sugar, pepper, sesame oil, garlic, and onion until the sugars have dissolved. Submerge the ribs in this marinade, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 7 to 12 hours; the longer, the better.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
3. Remove ribs from the marinade, shake off excess, and discard the marinade. Cook on preheated grill until the meat is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
Jen's Notes & Slow Cooker Adaptation:
I only had 1/2 cup of soy sauce, so I added some Teriyaki sauce to make up the difference for the amount needed. I used a combo of white vinegar and white wine vinegar, since I did not have the whole amount of either one. Lastly, I added about a tablespoon Chinese Five Spice powder. Why you ask? It struck my fancy when I was foraging in the pantry.
Instead of marinating then grilling (as the recipe suggests), I just threw all the ingredients in the slow cooker. I think 4 hours on the 'high' setting should be a sufficient cook time, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for good luck.
But I digress.
Once again, back to my recipe. I am doing some creative cooking today (i.e. improvising). I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I am adapting it to my needs (i.e. my gorgeous slow cooker...hello, lover).
I will post the original recipe, but then include my changes in the notes at the bottom of the post. I added a couple extra tidbits that were not in the recipe and I have to stretch the meat component. I only have a total of 3 short ribs, so I am going to make an extra side dish. I want to make sure there is enough leftovers for the husbands lunch tomorrow.
I think I will serve this dish with white rice, stir fried veggies, and some baked spring rolls. Since we have never tried this version of short ribs before, I will review the results later.
Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Gal-Bi)
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 large onion, minced
3 pounds Korean-style short
ribs (beef chuck flank end, cut
1/3 to 1/2 inch thick across
bones)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour soy sauce, water, and vinegar into a large, non-metallic bowl. Whisk in brown sugar, white sugar, pepper, sesame oil, garlic, and onion until the sugars have dissolved. Submerge the ribs in this marinade, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 7 to 12 hours; the longer, the better.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
3. Remove ribs from the marinade, shake off excess, and discard the marinade. Cook on preheated grill until the meat is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
Jen's Notes & Slow Cooker Adaptation:
I only had 1/2 cup of soy sauce, so I added some Teriyaki sauce to make up the difference for the amount needed. I used a combo of white vinegar and white wine vinegar, since I did not have the whole amount of either one. Lastly, I added about a tablespoon Chinese Five Spice powder. Why you ask? It struck my fancy when I was foraging in the pantry.
Instead of marinating then grilling (as the recipe suggests), I just threw all the ingredients in the slow cooker. I think 4 hours on the 'high' setting should be a sufficient cook time, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for good luck.
July 21, 2008
Slow Cooker German Short Ribs
The birthday dinner surprise went very well, and the main dish turned out delicious. The gravy was amazing. We had some leftover after everything was packaged up and put away, and I literally ate two spoonfuls of just the gravy. Greg just shook his head. Apparently, eating gravy straight out of the crock pot was not one of my most attractive moments. Oh well, it was worth loosing some points on the classy scale.
I bought some good-looking beef short ribs a while back at Costco, but I was waiting for the right time to cook them. Tonight was the night. Short ribs are great for long, slow cooking or braising. They have a good mixture of fat and meat, and they respond well to rich sauces. I like to save them for special occasions, because the need a little bit of extra attention. If done properly, they taste absolutely decadent. We first fell in love with the short rib on our trip to Hawaii this past April. We ate at a swanky, James Beard award-winning restaurant in Honolulu called Alan Wong's Hawaii. I ordered the tasting menu, and I was lucky enough to have beef short ribs as one of my courses. The rest is history. Needless to say, I buy them whenever I can find them. Please note that it is important to get the bone-in short ribs to get the full benefit of flavor. I have tried the boneless variety and I was less impressed with the final outcome. If you are gonna try these, make them with bone-in and you will not regret it. They usually finish out so tender the bone just falls out anyway.
I found this recipe on the allrecipes website. Allrecipes is a spot that I frequent often when I need an idea for an ingredient. I just type in what I want to use in the search field, and a list of recipes with that featured item pops up. The nice thing is that you can sift through the list by user ratings. This recipe that I found for short ribs was rated 4 out of 5 stars and did not disappoint. I served this with my homemade garlic mashed potatoes and zucchini sauteed in a red wine reduction. This meal was terrific.
Slow Cooker German Short Ribs
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black
pepper
3 pounds beef short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 slice onion, sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown
sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and pepper. Coat the short ribs with the flour mixture.
2.In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown short ribs in olive oil.
3.In a slow cooker, combine onions, wine, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly. Transfer the short ribs from the skillet to the slow cooker.
4.Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
5.Remove ribs, and turn the slow cooker control to High. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup water, and stir into the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
Jen's Notes:
I made only a few deviations from this recipe. The first was out of necessity. I did not have any chili sauce on hand, so I had to wing it. I made my own chili sauce, and it turned out really good. I don't think I will buy the bottled stuff ever again (recipe below).
Also, I added a little bit of beef stock to the party...but not very much...maybe only 1/4 to a 1/2 cup total. I was not sure if the liquid was going to be sufficient, so I played it safe by adding the beef stock.
For the 3 tablespoons vinegar: I used 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Again, this change was necessary since I was low on white vinegar; I just supplemented with the white wine vinegar.
My slow cooker runs hotter than most, so 4 hours on low was sufficient enough cook time for me. I find with crock pot recipes, it is best to shoot for the low end of the recommended time and check it often. I tested the meat after 4 hours and it was done perfectly.
Finally, I want to let you know that despite the spices in the Chili Sauce, this recipe is not really spicy. The chili sauce lends a complex flavor, but not overly spicy. See...I don't make everything spicy...just most things.
Jen's Chili Sauce (no measurements):
To 1/2 cup of ketchup add the following spices:
salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and Tabasco.
Stir to combine. Add a little spice at a time and taste as you go along.
I bought some good-looking beef short ribs a while back at Costco, but I was waiting for the right time to cook them. Tonight was the night. Short ribs are great for long, slow cooking or braising. They have a good mixture of fat and meat, and they respond well to rich sauces. I like to save them for special occasions, because the need a little bit of extra attention. If done properly, they taste absolutely decadent. We first fell in love with the short rib on our trip to Hawaii this past April. We ate at a swanky, James Beard award-winning restaurant in Honolulu called Alan Wong's Hawaii. I ordered the tasting menu, and I was lucky enough to have beef short ribs as one of my courses. The rest is history. Needless to say, I buy them whenever I can find them. Please note that it is important to get the bone-in short ribs to get the full benefit of flavor. I have tried the boneless variety and I was less impressed with the final outcome. If you are gonna try these, make them with bone-in and you will not regret it. They usually finish out so tender the bone just falls out anyway.
I found this recipe on the allrecipes website. Allrecipes is a spot that I frequent often when I need an idea for an ingredient. I just type in what I want to use in the search field, and a list of recipes with that featured item pops up. The nice thing is that you can sift through the list by user ratings. This recipe that I found for short ribs was rated 4 out of 5 stars and did not disappoint. I served this with my homemade garlic mashed potatoes and zucchini sauteed in a red wine reduction. This meal was terrific.
Slow Cooker German Short Ribs
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black
pepper
3 pounds beef short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 slice onion, sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown
sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and pepper. Coat the short ribs with the flour mixture.
2.In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown short ribs in olive oil.
3.In a slow cooker, combine onions, wine, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly. Transfer the short ribs from the skillet to the slow cooker.
4.Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
5.Remove ribs, and turn the slow cooker control to High. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup water, and stir into the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
Jen's Notes:
I made only a few deviations from this recipe. The first was out of necessity. I did not have any chili sauce on hand, so I had to wing it. I made my own chili sauce, and it turned out really good. I don't think I will buy the bottled stuff ever again (recipe below).
Also, I added a little bit of beef stock to the party...but not very much...maybe only 1/4 to a 1/2 cup total. I was not sure if the liquid was going to be sufficient, so I played it safe by adding the beef stock.
For the 3 tablespoons vinegar: I used 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Again, this change was necessary since I was low on white vinegar; I just supplemented with the white wine vinegar.
My slow cooker runs hotter than most, so 4 hours on low was sufficient enough cook time for me. I find with crock pot recipes, it is best to shoot for the low end of the recommended time and check it often. I tested the meat after 4 hours and it was done perfectly.
Finally, I want to let you know that despite the spices in the Chili Sauce, this recipe is not really spicy. The chili sauce lends a complex flavor, but not overly spicy. See...I don't make everything spicy...just most things.
Jen's Chili Sauce (no measurements):
To 1/2 cup of ketchup add the following spices:
salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and Tabasco.
Stir to combine. Add a little spice at a time and taste as you go along.
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