It has been hot as the dickens this week and I had zero intention in making dinner tonight! Around 1pm I realized that I had a rack of ribs in the fridge that absolutely NEEDED to get used, so as a result, here I am with a new recipe to share with you!
The sauce for this recipe can easily be made ahead and refrigerated for use with your protein of choice. If you're feeling lazy feel free to use granulated garlic and onion instead of fresh, I chose fresh since I had it on hand.
NOTE - I use uncooked bacon in this recipe so if you're prepping the sauce ahead it would be good to give it a nice heat through on the stove to kill off any nasties that might be in the "raw" bacon. So bring to a boil and keep it simmering for 5-10 minutes before cooling and refrigerating.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 cups brewed coffee (I like mine strong)
2-4 tablespoons mustard (Dijon or German) - taste as you go the tang is slightly lost while cooking so I like making mine extra tangy
1/2 of a white onion, roughly chopped (mine was quartered)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste (one of those small cylindrical cans)
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chile powder (not the spicy kind unless you want the extra kick)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon bullion (optional, I used beef)
A pinch of oregano and cumin (optional)
1-2 tablespoons liquid smoke
2-4 tablespoons sweetener of choice (to taste)
1 tablespoon sea salt (to taste)
2 heaping tablespoons chopped bacon, I used the fattiest parts so if you want just use bacon fat
1 rack of ribs or protein of choice
Directions
In a blender pulse sauce ingredients
If you are up to it, briefly broil or BBQ the ribs to add a nice little char to the bones (maybe 10-15 min in the broiler). I skipped this today, it was too flipping hot to turn on the oven!
Slice the ribs into smaller segments of 1-2 ribs a piece, it makes for easier crock pot management
Pop the ribs in the crockpot
Pour in the sauce
Give the ribs a nice flip in the sauce
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours or until they fall off the bone with minimum efford.
Plate and grub! Or, optional, pop cooked ribs on the grill for an extra touch of fire before serving. Again, I skipped this and just stuffed my face!
Enjoy!