BBQ Ribs

If I don't make goals for myself, nothing happens. As an example, I made a New Year's resolution two years ago to cook at home more often.  At the time I was depending on drive-thru's and takeout for dinner every night, and I was tired of spending all the extra money (you all know how cheap I am by now, so that was a huge motivator for me!) Flashforward to today, and it's now a common practice for us to have dinner at home 3-4 nights out of the week. We're saving money, relaxing more at home, and enjoying the thrill of making new dishes that we'd otherwise get at a restaurant. Progress!

So it only makes sense that I make another culinary goal for myself.  This year, I want to be less dependent on recipes and exact measurements.  (Yeah, I know... it's a cheater goal because I already hate measuring... but hear me out.) It takes a confident cook to just put a bunch of ingredients together and create a meal-- and I'm not there yet. 

But, if I am to grow as a cook, I need to learn to trust my instincts.  If I want to make something, but cannot seem to find "the perfect recipe" for it, I should be able to come up with something on my own.

And today, I did!


Ingredients:

ribs (I had some frozen, and I didn't bother to thaw them)

2 cans of beer (I used Miller Lite this time)

1 onion, quartered

garlic salt (Enough shakes to coat the top of the ribs/liquid)

pepper (Enough shakes to coat the top of the ribs/liquid)

brown sugar (I just placed a handful of brown sugar on top of the
ribs, then spread around to create a thin layer).

BBQ sauce (Montgomery Inn, anyone?)

Directions:

Pour beer into CrockPot.

Place onion in beer, then top with the ribs.

Add seasonings, then pack brown sugar atop the ribs.

Cook on Low for at least 8 hours.

After cooking in the CrockPot, transfer ribs to a broiler pan.  Baste ribs with BBQ sauce.  Broil for 5-10 minutes. 

Verdict: Keeper, with revision  

I loved how tender the meat became from cooking in the CrockPot. Next time, I think I'll broil the ribs for a little longer to carmelize the BBQ sauce.  Also, I may try a different beer, just to see how it affects the overall taste.