Slow Cooker Sesame Pork Ribs

"No one ever believes how little effort it takes to make these tender, juicy ribs. The meat absorbs the tangy flavor of the sweet sauce as the ribs simmer in the slow cooker." - Sandy A., in the Feb/March 2011 Country Magazine, describing her recipe for pork ribs.

As soon as I read this quote and looked at the picture of the succulent ribs, I knew I would try it out. My husband loves to slow cook ribs on the grill, but rarely has time to do so...he loved these, and I was proud to be able to serve him yummy ribs much easier than spending a couple hours outside over the grill.

Slow Cooker Sesame Pork Ribs (Country Magazine)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how much heat you like)
1 medium onion, sliced
5 lbs. bone-in country style pork ribs (I used one rack of baby back ribs, which worked great)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (I didn't have these, so I omitted them)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Add ribs and turn to coat. Place the sliced onion in crock pot (5 qt crock pot if you are using the full 5 lbs of pork ribs, a smaller crock pot will fit one rack of baby back ribs). Top with ribs and sauce.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Meat should be very tender. Place ribs on serving platter; sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Sweet Asian Pork Chops

How many times have you eaten dry pork chops? I know my previous attempts have been less-than-yummy...until NOW! Thanks to a great America's Test Kitchen recipe, these are tender, moist and coated in the most delicious sweet Asian glaze. You can add a bit of heat if you want, too.

A couple tricks to remember when cooking these:

• Start cooking the chops in a cold pan - this prevents them from drying out
• Cut slices in the fat around the chop, about 2" apart - it'll prevent the pork from curling up

My hubby loves these, he even asked for them the other night. They are officially in our meal rotation.

Sweet & Spicy Pork Chops (slightly adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
1/3 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (make sure you have at least 1/8 cup of brown sugar for later as well)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce (for more heat, add up to 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
3-4 bone-in rib or center cut pork chops, about 1"-1 1/2" thick
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Whisk cider, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, mustard, hot sauce and cornstarch in medium bowl. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut slits through the fat of the chops, about 2" apart (this prevents them from curling when cooking).
2. Rub chops with oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle 1 side of each chop with sugar.
3. Place chops, sugared-side down, in large nonstick skillet. Place skillet over medium-low heat and cook until chops are lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. 
4. Flip chops, add cider mixture, and cook, covered with a lid or with foil, until meat registers 145 degrees, or 8-10 minutes. Transfer chops to platter and tent with foil.
5. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until liquid is thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. During this time, taste the liquid and add 1/8 - 1/4 cup brown sugar if desired. (I like it sweet!)
6. Return chops to skillet and turn to coat in glaze. Transfer chops to platter and top with remaining glaze. Serve and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork

So I found a better pulled pork recipe than before...and it turns out, my friend Amy of QuickFit, found the same recipe. And we made the same adaptions to the recipe, before even talking about it. And both our hubbies loved it.

I know, root beer in a pulled pork recipe sounds crazy. But, the original recipe has nearly 1,500 people on Allrecipes.com giving it 4.5 stars.

Trust us, it's good! And of course, easy. Because it's a crock-pot meal. My fav.

Root Beer Pulled Pork
1 (2 lb) pork tenderloin
1 can (12 oz.) root beer
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt & pepper
Your favorite BBQ sauce (about half a bottle to full bottle, depending on how much sauce you like)
Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Season pork tenderloin with salt, pepper and chopped garlic. Place into slow cooker.
2. Add chopped onions to slow cooker, and then add the root beer. 
3. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours. 
4. Drain juice from the slow cooker (keeping the onions in the cooker). With a fork, shred the pork. Add your favorite BBQ sauce, mix together and serve. (Sometimes it's easier to remove the pork and onions from the slow cooker and put into a separate bowl. Then, shred the pork, drain the juice out of the slow cooker and return the pork and onions to the cooker. Then add the BBQ sauce).

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Crock pot meals - gotta love how easy they are. This was our first try at BBQ pulled pork in a slow cooker, and it was a success. Double or triple the recipe to serve to a large crowd. The original recipe is from Good Housekeeping Magazine, but I did use some substitutions because I didn't have all the ingredients at home. Enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup (or tomato paste)
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper

2-4 pound boneless pork shoulder blade roast, cut into 4 pieces OR 1.7-2 lb tenderloin

Directions
1. In 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow-cooker pot, stir onion, BBQ sauce, ketchup, vinegar, applesauce, brown sugar, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, and pepper until combined. Add pork to sauce mixture and turn to coat well with sauce.2. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook pork mixture on low setting as manufacturer directs, 8 to 10 hours or until pork is very tender. (The one I did was a 1.7 lb tenderloin, and it was done around 4-5 hours)
3. With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn setting on slow cooker to high; cover and heat sauce to boiling to thicken and reduce slightly.
4. While sauce boils, with 2 forks, pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and toss with sauce to combine. Cover slow cooker and heat through on high setting if necessary.
5. Spoon pork mixture onto bottom of sandwich buns or bread, and serve.