We’ve been eating a lot of warming cold weather foods during this cold winter, and I’ve been experimenting with my recently purchased crock pot. Combine the tastiness of BBQ pork ribs with the ease of crock pot cooking and you’ve got a winner.

I keep meaning to take a picture to post with this recipe, but I have to admit that the aroma of those ribs just makes me forget about the photo op.

I love the fact that I can put it all together and then go do other things.  The delicious aroma of BBQ pork ribs filling the house lets me know that dinner will be ready soon. Using my son’s new rice cooker and cooking the green beans in the microwave, I can really make this a no fuss dinner.

I like to serve these pork ribs with rice and fresh, boiled or micro-cooked green beans. It just seems to make a good flavor combination. This cooks up enough deliciously flavored juice to pour on top of the rice, too.

We buy a 3-4 lb. package of ribs and only cook half at a time for two to three hungry people. I sometimes mix up twice the amount of the dry rub and increase the marinade amount (increased amounts follow recipe.) I use half and keep the rest for the second half of the package of ribs. (Refrigerate the marinade, but not the dry rub.)

If you are making ribs for four or more people, double the recipe of dry rub, increase the marinade amounts as below, and cook the whole package of ribs, as long as your crock pot is large enough to accommodate that amount.

Try these ribs and let me know what you think.

Crock Pot BBQ Pork Ribs

To make this recipe you will need 1-1/2 to 2 lbs of pork short ribs or back ribs. This is about half of one of those long packages of ribs you find in the store.

Thickly slice 2 large sweet onions and place them in the bottom of the crock pot.

Cut the ribs apart and place them in the crock pot on top of the onions.

Mix together the following ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Apply the above mixture to the ribs, turning them to apply on all sides. This can get rather messy if you are doing it with your hands. I like to place the mixture in a small shaker jar (one of those little glass containers with holes in the lid) to apply to the ribs. It is much easier and neater this way.

In a separate bowl or container mix the following ingredients. (I put them in a small jar, close the lid, and then shake until blended.)

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Pour this over the ribs in the crock pot and put on the lid.
cook on High 4 to 6 hours or Low 10 hours.

Enjoy.

Marinade for double recipe:

• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper