Food Friday- Crockpot BBQ Pork

My family loves ribs and they are so easy to make in a crockpot. You can take them out and throw them on a grill before eating but usually if I'm using the crockpot it's because I'm going to have a dang busy day, no way am I doing anything extra to to get dinner on the table.

You could use a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce instead of making your own sauce but half the work is done for you when you make the rub so you might as well go for it and make the homemade sauce.

You can use this recipe with any kind of rib or with a pork butt or shoulder for pulled pork. I usually make 2 batches of the dry rub at a time, use 1/2 of it and store the remaining 1/2 in a tightly closed glass jar to use the next time I make it.

• 3 racks of baby back ribs OR 3 lbs of country style ribs OR a 6 to 8 pound pork butt roast or pork shoulder roast
• 1 TBS mild paprika
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp smoked paprika* or add more regular if you don't have smoked.
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder or 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp of Cajun Spices- Just add some spicy heat anyway you want and any amount you want.
• 1 tsp celery salt or 1 tsp celery seeds
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp salt

Mix all of the dry ingredients together and rub half of the mix over the meat, top, bottom and sides.

If you have the time, let the meat sit in the fridge with the rub on overnight then throw it into the crockpot the next morning. If you forget, throw it in right after you rub it on and it'll still be great!!
To make your BBQ sauce-  Place into a sauce pan:

• the other half of your dry rub mixture
• 1- 8 oz can tomato sauce or a small can of tomato paste and a can of water
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tsp liquid smoke

Mix all together and bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Remove one cup to pour over the ribs and place the rest into the fridge until dinner.

Place the meat with the rub on it into your crockpot. Pour in:

• 1 can of beef broth (or vegetable or chicken broth- whatever you have on hand)
• 1/4 cup of coffee dcaf of regular or (1/4 cup of water and 1/4 tsp instant coffee)
• 1 cup of your BBQ sauce

Let the ribs cook about 10 hours until really tender or
Optional- Cook 8 hours and remove from crockpot and grill on your grill for 3 minutes per side.
Serve with the remaining sauce.

*You can find smoked paprika in the Hispanic Food section of the grocery store in plastic packets.