Barbecued Baby Back Ribs aka The Rib Experience

I am always trying to avoid old habits:  sloppy joe's with semi-frozen french fries with a can of fruit cocktail, Hamburger Helper with a can of peas, take-out/delivery/drive-thru...you get the picture.  But on the other side of the coin, I also want to avoid making a dinner that is too involved and therefore leads me to the above options (probably drive-thru).

The Rib Experience

When I put these in the slow-cooker early last Tuesday, I was uncertain of how  they were going to turn out (first time making them) but figured I had to give it a shot.  That night, I had a full house:  Steve and all 4 of the kids (the kids were between paydays and school funding, which means they come over and "see what's for dinner")  Steve has now retitled this dish "The Rib Experience".  I sat at the dinner table and listened to moans and groans and watched my family lick the bones clean.  They were that good!  I hope you try them, enjoy them and let me know what you liked (or didn't) about them.

When shopping, make sure to purchase pork baby back ribs, not spareribs or country-style ribs.  This recipe is specifically developed for baby back ribs.  The other cuts will take longer to cook.

Makes 8 servings (22-28 ribs)
Preparation time:  20 minutes
Cooking time:  3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours (high heat)
                          6 - 7 hours (low heat)

FOR THE RUB:
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder


FOR THE RIBS:
1 medium red onion, sliced
1/2 cup carbonated cola
2 slabs pork baby back ribs (about 4 lb total), rinsed, patted dry and trimmed
1 cup purchased barbecue sauce


Combine brown sugar, salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder for the rub in a small bowl.  Thoroughly coat ribs with the rub, using all of the mixture.  
Add onion and cola to the 4-6 quart slow cooker.  Place ribs on top, cutting to fit if necessary.  Cover; cook until ribs are tender, on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours or on low-heat setting for 6-7 hours. 
Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 6-8 inches from the heating element.  Transfer ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet; brush ribs with sauce.  Broil ribs until sauce caramelizes, about 5 minutes.