Ella Walter
St. Louis-style ribs are a delicious, easy-to-make meal that can be prepared in a crock pot. The ribs are known for being flatter, longer, and meatier than baby back ribs. They can be cooked in as little as four hours using the high setting on your crock pot, and require minimal prep time. The key to making delicious St. Louis ribs in a crock pot is in the sauce and seasoning. The barbecue sauce thickens and reduces in the crock pot, forming a glaze on the ribs. The ribs are then further flavoured with a seasoning blend, resulting in fall-off-the-bone tender meat.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of ribs | St. Louis-style spare ribs or baby back ribs |
| Amount | 3-4 St. Louis ribs (1 pound per person) or 6 baby back ribs per person |
| Temperature | High |
| Time | 4 hours on high, 30 minutes on low, or 8 hours on low |
| Prep time | 2 minutes in the morning, 2 minutes after 7.5 hours |
| Cooking spray | Cooking spray or a slow cooker liner |
| Seasonings | Salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, liquid smoke, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, BBQ sauce |
| Serving suggestions | Corn on the cob, marinated carrot salad, Italian three-bean salad, mac and cheese, creamy potato salad, Italian potato salad, beer bread, blueberry pie |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Prepping the ribs
St. Louis-style ribs are flatter, longer, and meatier than baby back ribs. They are also known as spare ribs. To prepare them for cooking in a crock pot, start by removing the silver membrane from the back of the ribs. You can do this by sliding a butter knife under the membrane to loosen it, then pulling it off with a paper towel. Some people choose to leave the membrane on, but removing it allows the flavours of your seasonings to penetrate the meat more effectively.
Next, you'll want to season your ribs. You can use a dry rub, a liquid marinade, or a combination of both. A basic dry rub might include garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt. For a wet marinade, you can use a combination of barbecue sauce, honey, and chipotle. If you're short on time, you can simply use a store-bought barbecue sauce, but if you have the time, making your own sauce will add a lot of flavour. You can also add other seasonings like salt, paprika, and pepper to the ribs before cooking them in the Crockpot.
If you're using a dry rub, mix all your spices together in a small bowl, then rub the mixture all over the ribs, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. You can do this the night before you plan to cook the ribs, which will give the flavours time to really penetrate the meat. If you're using a wet marinade, brush it onto the ribs, making sure to coat them evenly. You can also use a combination of both methods, applying a dry rub first, then adding a wet marinade on top.
Once your ribs are seasoned, you can place them in the crock pot. If you have a tall crock pot, you can stand the ribs up with the meat side facing the walls of the cooker. If you have a wider crock pot, you may need to cut the ribs in half and lay them flat in the pot. If you're using a liquid marinade, pour it over the ribs at this point.
Preventing Hash Browns: Stop Sticking to the Pan
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Choosing a sauce
When it comes to choosing a sauce for your St. Louis ribs, you have a few options. You can either use a store-bought sauce or make your own. If you decide to go with a store-bought option, choose a brand that you love and that has a flavour you enjoy. Some popular brands mentioned by various sources include Sweet Baby Ray's, Kroger's Private Selection, Trader Joe's Organic Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce, Rufus Teague's Blazin' Hot, Lillie's Hot Smoky Memphis-Style, and Oklahoma Joe's Original Barbecue Sauce. You can also add other ingredients to your store-bought sauce to enhance the flavour, such as liquid smoke, peach preserves, or vinegar.
If you prefer to make your own sauce from scratch, you can create a dry rub by mixing onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, and chipotle powder. You can then add liquids such as honey, beer, or vinegar to create a wet rub or sauce. Alternatively, you can make a vinegar sauce by mixing vinegar with seasonings like salt, paprika, and pepper.
It's important to note that the barbecue sauce is a key ingredient when cooking St. Louis ribs in a crockpot, as there is no smoke involved. The sauce thickens and reduces in the crockpot, creating a glaze on the ribs. Therefore, it's essential to choose a sauce with a flavour profile that you enjoy.
Additionally, you can also experiment with different types of BBQ sauce, such as honey chipotle BBQ sauce, to add a unique flavour to your ribs. You can also brush on extra sauce at the end and pop the ribs under the broiler to create a caramelized sticky BBQ sauce glaze.
Cleaning Seared Pans: Removing Marks the Right Way
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Cooking time and temperature
St. Louis ribs are best cooked in a crock pot for a long time at a low temperature. This slow-cooking method helps to tenderise the meat and ensure it is "fall-off-the-bone".
The cooking time for St. Louis ribs in a crock pot can vary depending on the size of the ribs and the temperature setting. For example, larger ribs will take longer to cook than smaller ones. In general, ribs should be cooked in a crock pot for between 5 and 8 hours. One source recommends cooking St. Louis ribs on a high setting for 4 hours, and then on a low setting for a further 30 minutes. Another source recommends cooking St. Louis ribs on a low setting for 8 hours.
The temperature setting for cooking St. Louis ribs in a crock pot can be either high or low, depending on your preference and the amount of time you want to spend cooking. Cooking ribs on a high setting will reduce the overall cooking time, but may result in slightly less tender meat. Cooking ribs on a low setting for a longer period of time will help to break down the connective tissues in the meat, making it more tender.
It is worth noting that the cooking time and temperature can also be affected by the specific crock pot or slow cooker being used. Different models may have varying temperature settings or heat distributions, which can impact the cooking process. Therefore, it is always important to keep an eye on the ribs while they are cooking and adjust the time and temperature as needed to ensure they are cooked to your desired level of doneness.
Breaking Hard Pan Soil: Tips for a Greener Thumb
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Adding flavour
St. Louis ribs are known for their tender meat that falls off the bone. The key to achieving this is slow cooking the ribs for 6 to 8 hours. But what makes these ribs truly mouthwatering is the flavour. Here are some tips to enhance the taste of your St. Louis ribs:
Choose the right cut of ribs
St. Louis-style pork spare ribs are flatter, longer, and meatier than baby back ribs. This means more surface area to absorb flavours and more meat to enjoy.
Dry rub
Before cooking, coat your ribs with a dry rub. This can be as simple as salt and pepper, or you can get creative with spices like garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. You can also add brown sugar to your dry rub for a touch of sweetness. Make sure to get the rub on all sides of the ribs for maximum flavour.
BBQ sauce
Barbecue sauce is a key ingredient when cooking St. Louis ribs in a crock pot, as there is no smoke involved. The sauce thickens and reduces in the crock pot, forming a delicious glaze on the ribs. Choose a store-bought sauce that you love, or make your own by mixing different sauces to create a sweet and spicy blend.
Honey chipotle BBQ sauce
For a unique flavour, try a honey chipotle BBQ sauce. This sauce is a combination of sweet and spicy, and when slow-cooked, it creates a flavour explosion. You can make your own by mixing honey, chipotle powder, and your favourite BBQ sauce.
Liquid smoke
If you want to add a smoky flavour to your ribs, try adding a bit of liquid smoke to your BBQ sauce. This will give your ribs that authentic barbecue taste without having to grill them.
Cooking liquid
While BBQ sauce is essential, you can also add other liquids to the crock pot to enhance the flavour. Try using Dr. Pepper, beer, or even just water. These liquids will help keep the ribs moist and tender while cooking.
Sides and toppings
Don't forget to add flavour through your sides and toppings. Serve your ribs with corn on the cob, marinated carrot salad, or a creamy potato salad. For an extra punch of flavour, top your ribs with peach preserves or fresh herbs before serving.
With these tips, your St. Louis ribs will be packed with flavour and sure to impress!
Pot-Baked Cakes: A Creative Way to Bake
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Serving suggestions
St. Louis-style ribs cooked in a crock pot are a versatile dish that can be served at any time of the year. They are a perfect addition to a BBQ or game day and can be served with a variety of side dishes.
One source suggests serving these ribs with corn on the cob, marinated carrot salad, and Italian three-bean salad. This source also suggests sides of stovetop mac and cheese, creamy or Italian potato salad, beer bread, and blueberry pie for dessert.
Another source recommends pairing the ribs with Greek yogurt macaroni salad.
You could also serve the ribs with potatoes. One suggestion is to add scrubbed potatoes to the trivet in the instant pot/slow cooker. Another idea is to serve the ribs with a side of extra barbecue sauce.
If you want to add a "perfect 'I am at a BBQ' vibe," serve the ribs with mac and cheese.
Ceramic Pans: To Season or Not?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
It takes between 4 to 8 hours to cook St Louis ribs in a crock pot, depending on the recipe.
You will need St Louis ribs, barbecue sauce, and spices such as paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
There are a few ways to cook St Louis ribs in a crock pot. You can cook them on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours, followed by low for 30 minutes. You can also cook them on high for 5-6 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours, and then grill or bake them to dry them out.
