Bourbon BBQ Babyback Ribs

This is by far one of the most gratifying dishes when it comes to the effort/reward ratio. It needs to cook for a very long time, but once it's in the slow cooker, you pretty much set it and forget it, so it really doesn't get any easier. I made this a lot during football season because it's both a crowd-pleaser, and can be made in-doors during the winter months, while still feeling like you're at a tailgate (although living in Texas, I might need to keep that liquid smoke a secret because nearly every house has its own smoker out back). Serve it with deviled eggs, pickles, Cole slaw, or your favorite tailgate sides, and you'll be cheering for their sticky-sweet, fall-off-the-bone tenderness all night.

Note: pre-roasting in the oven gives them a rich, browned exterior, so don't skip that step! Ingredients: 5 LBS pork babyback ribs - cut into thirds 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 cup ketchup 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup bourbon 1/2 cup prepared horseradish 1/2 tsp hot sauce several shakes of liquid smoke

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475

2. Place ribs meaty side up in a large roasting pan

3. Sprinkle ribs w salt & pepper and bake for 30 minutes

4. Meanwhile, combine ketchup and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl

5. Arrange ribs in a 6-qt slow cooker, adding sauce on each layer of ribs

6. Cover & cook ribs on LOW for 9 hours

7. Remove ribs from slow cooker and cover to keep warm

8. Pour drippings & sauce from slow cooker into a sauce pan, removing fat as needed

9. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until sauce thickens

10. Brush sauce over ribs before serving

Note: Ribs can hold several hours in 190 degree oven if made ahead

#Mains #Pork #SlowFood