Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Pork Ribs Crock Pot with apples

Updated 8.22.2105, a blog favorite! 

Here is a great recipe to prepare in your Crock~Pot/slow cooker, left-overs can be used for lunch or another dinner. I always have soft corn tortilla's in the fridge to make tacos and this recipe is the closest I have gotten to making Carnitas without frying in fat and I love Carnitas. Usually a Pork shoulder is the preferred cut, however pork ribs work just add a jalapeno pepper and cumin to spice it up for a Mexican dish. Now all you need are soft corn tortillas, I am still working on making those....

I was going through my freezer looking for something to cook for dinner and pulled out a 2 lb package of boneless pork ribs. (When the ribs are on sale I purchase a couple of packages, place them in a plastic freezer bag and freeze) I decided to cook the ribs in the crock pot/slow cooker. I usually add about ¼ cup of orange juice or pineapple juice to my pot but I had neither on hand. An overripe apple works just as well to add a little juice and sweetness.

Another option: back in October I purchased several Asian pears from the local farmers market and decided to use one in place of orange or pineapple juice. My hubby Doug commented on the delicious taste, I told him that it was the sliced pears that provided the different flavor. Wow, the ribs were really tasty. I am not sure if another type of pear would provide the same flavor. I will put that on my list of things to try.


Recipe for Simply Delicious Pork Ribs

Servings- 4 to six servings (if you use for taco or burrito filling you can really stretch out the servings)

Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
2 to 2 1/2 lb boneless pork ribs (ribs with the bone work just as well and add more flavor)
Defrost if frozen
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup of water or substitute with 1/4 cup of orange, apple or pineapple juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 small or 1/2 of a large apple peeled and sliced in quarters, any kind of apple

Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add the pork ribs.

Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire to the water or juice, mix and pour over the ribs

Season with the garlic, onion, thyme, oregano and basil


Add the sliced apple to the pot ~ I tuck them in around the ribs


Cook on low for 8 hours, until the ribs are fork tender (cooking time can vary by crock pot, check your instructions for your slow cooker)


The sliced apple will cook down and add a sweet wonderful flavor to the ribs.


Sides:

Green beans: fresh, frozen or canned. Whatever works for you, I find that frozen green beans are a great alternative to fresh .

Sides: Cucumber, tomato salad topped with feta cheese or your favorite Cheese. A Baked Potato is always yummy.


My Hubby Doug's fav: Black beans, corn and diced tomatoes (toss a can of black beans, corn and diced tomatoes together in a pot heat and serve) Alternative –frozen corn is excellent as well ~ Using a colander I rinse the beans and corn to remove some of the sodium, even when I use low-sodium canned goods. A Baked potato is always yummy, well if you like baked potatoes~


Suggestions for meals to make with the cooked pork: Pork tacos or whip up some enchiladas.

Just cook something! Cheers! Kary~

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