Texas Pork Ribs

By Pattywak

This recipe was to die for. Everyone that ate it was raving about it. For all you crock pot fanatics...I made this in the crock pot. I prepared the dry rub as instructed and left in the fridge over night. The next morning, I loaded all of the ribs into a big crock pot. Then I prepared the BBQ sauce cold (no stove or oven work) and just poured it over the ribs. Cooked in the crock pot on low for 10 hours. They were incredible!

Great, versatile recipe! My husband used to work at a rib joint and is very choosy about his ribs - he said these were among the best - and to top it off, it was my first attempt at BBQ ribs! I've used this recipe several times now and I love being able to tweak the rub ingredients (less pepper, more cayenne, etc.), depending on who's going to be eating them. UPDATE: THis rub also makes for a *killer* pork roast and roasted chicken! I use this rub so often now, I make a monster batch of rub about once a month and keep it in a huge canister on my kitchen counter so a couple scoops are always handy.

Ingredients

• 6 pounds pork spareribs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 5 tablespoons pan drippings
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups ketchup
• 3 cups hot water
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup wood chips, soaked

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

Clean the ribs, and trim away any excess fat. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, 1/4 cup salt, ground black pepper, paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Coat ribs liberally with spice mix. Place the ribs in two 10x15 inch roasting pans, piling two racks of ribs per pan. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Bake uncovered for 3 to 4 hours, or until the ribs are tender and nearly fall apart.

Remove 5 tablespoons of drippings from the bottom of the roasting pans, and place in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion in pan drippings until lightly browned and tender. Stir in ketchup, and heat for 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring constantly. Next, mix in water and brown sugar, and season to taste with cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, adding water as necessary to achieve desired thickness.

Preheat grill for medium-low heat.

When ready to grill, add soaked wood chips to the coals or to the smoker box of a gas grill. Lightly oil grill grate. Place ribs on the grill two racks at a time so they are not crowded. Cook for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste ribs with sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling, so the sauce does not burn.