I always serve this traditional Irish stew with mashed potatoes or colcannon. Crusty bread or Irish soda bread smothered with smoked butter works a treat too. You really can’t go wrong with a few traditional Irish recipes to go alongside. For me, a slow-cooked hearty stew is the ultimate comfort food. Yep, there is a lot of potato in this one, but if it were up to the Irishman in our house, there would be potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If I have learned anything from being married to an Irishman, it’s that potatoes are basically a food group! This crockpot ribs recipe will work for any style of pork ribs. We did baby back ribs, but country-style ribs or spare ribs could be used too. I haven’t tried crock pot boneless ribs or beef ribs yet, but I see no reason why those wouldn’t work so feel free to experiment. (Just save the pork shoulder or pork butt for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, and save the beef for Beef Back Ribs.)

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork ribs cut into individual ribs (spare ribs, baby back, or country-style will all work with this method; I used baby back)
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

STEPS

1) Spray a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Add the ribs in an even layer.

2) In a small bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

3) Pour half of the sauce over the ribs, then cover the sauce bowl and save the rest in the refrigerator.

4) Cover the ribs and cook on LOW for 8 hours, until they are cooked and ultra-tender. Serve immediately with the reserved sauce (I like to warm up the extra sauce for serving too).

NOTES

STORE-BOUGHT SAUCE: You can also make crockpot ribs with store-bought sauce, like Sweet Baby Rays, if you prefer. Simply swap the homemade bbq sauce ingredients for 1-2 cups of your favorite premade variety and cook as directed in the recipe.

TO STORE: Leftover ribs may be stored, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

TO FREEZE: Cooked crockpot ribs may be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before warming.

TO REHEAT: Warm the ribs in a slow cooker on LOW until heated through. You may also warm in a large, covered, saucepan on the stovetop over LOW heat or in the microwave in a covered container until heated through. I suggest adding a bit of water and/or barbecue sauce to the ribs before warming to prevent them from drying out.