Ribs in Slow Cooker - which BBQ Sauce?
Discussion
OK. I have two racks of ribs festering in the slow cooker. Rubbed with Jamaican Jerk seasoning.
My plan is to smother 'em in BBQ sauce and pop them in the oven for 15 minutes at the end.
Now I could make Huw Fearnley Whittingstall's homemade BBQ sauce. It's yummy.
But I'm feeling lazy.
If I buy a bottle of good BBQ sauce and use that it surely will make tonight's dinner easy.
So what sauce? Any recommendations?
My plan is to smother 'em in BBQ sauce and pop them in the oven for 15 minutes at the end.
Now I could make Huw Fearnley Whittingstall's homemade BBQ sauce. It's yummy.
But I'm feeling lazy.
If I buy a bottle of good BBQ sauce and use that it surely will make tonight's dinner easy.
So what sauce? Any recommendations?
Digger said:
How many hours will they be festering for Don? On Low?
I've got 'em on low with just a jerk rub on them - no sauce yet.They'll be festering in the Cooker for about ten hours today. It's an experiment - I might change the length of cooking on the next occasion.
But I will be finishing them in the cooker smothered in sauce for about ten to fifteen: just enough to blacken the sauce a little.
I'm hoping this will result in meltingly tender ribs. No smoke flavour, of course, but you can't get everything without doing 'em properly!
I'll try and remember to post on the "Photo of your Dinner" thread...
Steve H said:
May I ask, do you just put the ribs (with seasoning) in the slow cooker...any liquid?
OK. We just ate 'em.DAMN! They were GOOD!
The Mrs complained badly that I hadn't made HFW's BBQ sauce. I couldn't get Wilkins and Sons so I used Newman's Own (him being a Petrolhead) but homemade is important...
The slow-cooking, on the other hand, worked absolutely brilliantly.
Absolutely no liquid added to the pot. Just slow "roasted" in the slow cooker for ten hours. Then smeared with BBQ sauce and finally blasted in the oven for just ten minutes.
Yes I am going to fine tune the recipe and experiment with BBQ sauce on from the beginning rather than starting with a rub etc etc but the overall result is FAB. The meat just fell off the bone - you could have noshed it with a spoon had you wanted to...
YUM.
Worth persevering with. I will be back with refinements but if you want to start experimenting with the slow cooker and ribs I heartily recommened it: no added liquid, use it as a slow roaster.
Pics to follow...
10 hours in the slow cooker seems a long time for ribs, but the result sounded and looked very good. What temperature is it at?
For BBQ ribs, I usually put ribs in a very slow oven (maybe gas 2-3) and leave them for 1-2 hours then finish them off on the barby.
Did you find the slow cooker made the meat too tender to survive turning a few times on a barbeque i.e. would a rack stay together or would the ribs fall apart too easily to be turned?
For BBQ ribs, I usually put ribs in a very slow oven (maybe gas 2-3) and leave them for 1-2 hours then finish them off on the barby.
Did you find the slow cooker made the meat too tender to survive turning a few times on a barbeque i.e. would a rack stay together or would the ribs fall apart too easily to be turned?
BBQ ribs, Hmmmmm a man after my own heart.
On a slightly different porky subject. I am very partial to the much under rated pork belly. However, everytime I have it in a restaurant it literally falls apart and is to die for yet I have tried to cook it and it's not the same. I have tried varying methods including covering just the belly, leaving the skin showing and 4 hours at number 2 after an initial blast at no7. Tasted OK but not as good as when eating out.
Anyone care to let me have their little belly pork secrets.....
On a slightly different porky subject. I am very partial to the much under rated pork belly. However, everytime I have it in a restaurant it literally falls apart and is to die for yet I have tried to cook it and it's not the same. I have tried varying methods including covering just the belly, leaving the skin showing and 4 hours at number 2 after an initial blast at no7. Tasted OK but not as good as when eating out.
Anyone care to let me have their little belly pork secrets.....
quattrophenia said:
BBQ ribs, Hmmmmm a man after my own heart.
On a slightly different porky subject. I am very partial to the much under rated pork belly. However, everytime I have it in a restaurant it literally falls apart and is to die for yet I have tried to cook it and it's not the same. I have tried varying methods including covering just the belly, leaving the skin showing and 4 hours at number 2 after an initial blast at no7. Tasted OK but not as good as when eating out.
Anyone care to let me have their little belly pork secrets.....
I'd try it in the slow cooker as Don's done the ribs. Personally I'd sit the belly on a few slices of fennel or onion for flavour, but it would work just as well without.On a slightly different porky subject. I am very partial to the much under rated pork belly. However, everytime I have it in a restaurant it literally falls apart and is to die for yet I have tried to cook it and it's not the same. I have tried varying methods including covering just the belly, leaving the skin showing and 4 hours at number 2 after an initial blast at no7. Tasted OK but not as good as when eating out.
Anyone care to let me have their little belly pork secrets.....
Ooooh, they look so good. I'm gonna have to try these in a slow cooker. I did them in the oven last time, very low for a couple of hours and then on high for 15mins, but felt they could have been a bit more tender. I modified a standard bbq sauce though to use a glaze and that was a real result. It was only a cheapo HP bbq woodsmoke sauce in a squeezy bottle, but I added ginger, garlic, a small amount of very finely chopped chilli, some soy sauce and a load of soft brown sugar. I'll definitely be doing it again.
As temps have been mentioned above being an inquisitive soul I'd be very interested to know what temps the slow cookers are at the various settings. My Breville (still unused!?) has Low High and Auto (which I am led to believe starts High (for how long I have no idea!) and then reverts to Low? I think.
Anyone got an oven thermometer they can throw in their cookers?
Anyone got an oven thermometer they can throw in their cookers?
quattrophenia said:
BBQ ribs, Hmmmmm a man after my own heart.
On a slightly different porky subject. I am very partial to the much under rated pork belly. However, everytime I have it in a restaurant it literally falls apart and is to die for yet I have tried to cook it and it's not the same. I have tried varying methods including covering just the belly, leaving the skin showing and 4 hours at number 2 after an initial blast at no7. Tasted OK but not as good as when eating out.
Anyone care to let me have their little belly pork secrets.....
The main thing to remember is that it's very difficult to over-cook pork belly on a low heat. I usually do it one of 3 ways:On a slightly different porky subject. I am very partial to the much under rated pork belly. However, everytime I have it in a restaurant it literally falls apart and is to die for yet I have tried to cook it and it's not the same. I have tried varying methods including covering just the belly, leaving the skin showing and 4 hours at number 2 after an initial blast at no7. Tasted OK but not as good as when eating out.
Anyone care to let me have their little belly pork secrets.....
1. Rolled (maybe stuffed with some herbs, garlic etc. but not essential). Blast for the first 25 mins to get the crackling going and then on very low oven for 4-5 hours.
2. Flat, skin side up. You can put it on onions or fennel as suggested, but it's not essential. Again, blast for 25mins and then slow for as long as it takes (min. 4 hours)
With 1 or 2, you can rub fennel seeds and s&p into the skin prior to cooking and remove crackling near the end and finish off separately if you need to.
3. Twice cooked. This is a bit more involved but the benefit is you can freeze it after the 1st cooking and finish off (once defrosted) quickly when you want it.
Flat piece of belly, scored and skin rubbed with crushed coriander seed, fennel seed, salt, pepper. Cover with duck or goose fat and confit for 3-4 hours in a low oven. Remove from fat then press between two trays until cold.
At this point it can be refrigerated or bagged and put in the freezer. When you want to finish it, put the belly skin side down in a hot frying pan and get the cracking started (5-10 minutes) then transfer pan to a hot oven and roast for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into strips or cubes with a very sharp knife.
If you find any of these ways doesn't result in the meat being meltingly tender, just cook at the low temperature for longer. Your oven may be cooler than you think.
FasterFreddy said:
10 hours in the slow cooker seems a long time for ribs, but the result sounded and looked very good. What temperature is it at?
For BBQ ribs, I usually put ribs in a very slow oven (maybe gas 2-3) and leave them for 1-2 hours then finish them off on the barby.
Did you find the slow cooker made the meat too tender to survive turning a few times on a barbeque i.e. would a rack stay together or would the ribs fall apart too easily to be turned?
Sorry - didn't spot your question.For BBQ ribs, I usually put ribs in a very slow oven (maybe gas 2-3) and leave them for 1-2 hours then finish them off on the barby.
Did you find the slow cooker made the meat too tender to survive turning a few times on a barbeque i.e. would a rack stay together or would the ribs fall apart too easily to be turned?
IMO the ribs need gentle handling once slow cooked. They DID stay together to be smeared with sauce and popped into the oven but I think if I'd manhandled them about with tongs I might have had a disaster.
Yes they really were very, very tender.
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