BBQ Ribs in the Slow Cooker with Baked Yam Wedges

Nobody likes to eat ribs if they have to cut them with a knife to get to the meat. Ribs should be so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone when you bite into it. There's a secret to getting beef ribs and pork ribs that tender.

Precook the meat in vinegar, lemon juice, or some other acidic marinade. The acid breaks down the toughness of the meat, so when it is done cooking, it will be as easy to bite into as butter. I learned this trick from an old friend who made the best ribs this side of the Mississipi.

When preparing ribs, purchase ½ pound of meat per person. This recipe is for 2 pounds. Just double or triple the amounts if you have a big crowd.

Pork or Beef Ribs in the Slow Cooker

• 2 pounds of ribs
• 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
• 4 cups of water
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bottle of barbeque sauce (hot or sweet, whichever you prefer)
• 2 large yams
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat the water, vinegar, and herbs in a pot. Simmer the ribs in the liquid for ½ hour.
Drain the liquid and throw away the herbs.
Place the ribs in the slow cooker.
Pour the barbeque sauce over the top.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Wash and peel the yams.
Cut them into wedges.
Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Toss the yams in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Bake on a foil lined pan in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.


Photo/BBQ Junkie on Flickr
More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

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Sweet Ribs with Roasted Root Vegetables

Pop these ribs and vegetables in the crockpot in the morning for a warm fall dinner. Yes, you’ll need two crockpots for this one. Otherwise, cook the ribs in the crockpot and the vegetables in the oven that evening.


Ingredients:
Pork or beef ribs, bone-in
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 bottle honey barbeque sauce
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 yam, peeled and cut into cubes
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion, quartered
¼ cup of parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Cook the ribs:
Simmer the ribs in water to cover and the vinegar for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on the ribs and place in the crock pot.
Pour the honey barbeque sauce over the top.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

Cook the vegetables:
There are two ways to do the vegetables.
In the crock pot:
Place the vegetables in a crockpot lightly coated with oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook on low for 8 hours.
In the oven:
Place the vegetables in a baking dish, dot with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with tin foil.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes longer, to brown.

Serve this with lots of napkins and iced tea.

Another delicious ribs recipe is Country Pork Ribs with Pesto Mashed Potatoes.

Steak and Roasted Vegetables

Steak and Roasted Vegetables
Tossed Salad
Quick Garlic Breadsticks

Steaks for each person, rib-eye, sirloin, or your favorite steak
Steak rub or spices of your choice (We use Creole seasoning.)
One potato for each person, peeled and cut up
One sweet potato, peeled and cut up
One carrot for each person, peeled and cut in chunks
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can of refrigerated biscuits
2 Tbsp real butter (not margarine)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 head of romaine, chopped
1 large tomato, cut up
2 radishes, thinly sliced
Croutons
Salad dressing

Prepare the vegetables by placing them in a covered baking dish.
Sprinkle the olive oil, parsley, and some salt and pepper over the vegetables and toss to coat.
Cover the vegetables with tin foil if you don't have a covered dish.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for one hour or until the vegetables are fork tender.
While the vegetables are baking, season the steaks.
Just before the vegetables are done, toss the salad.
Put the steaks on the grill.
For the biscuits, take them out of the can. Roll them into short ropes and twist.
Place the twists on a baking sheet.
Melt the butter and stir in the garlic and onion powder.
Brush the melted butter mixture over the breadsticks.
Remove the vegetables from the oven.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees and bake the breadsticks 8-10 minutes.
If they are ready before the steaks, keep them warm and tender by placing them in a dish and covering with a towel.
Enjoy your steak dinner!

BBQ Beef Crockpot Sandwiches

BBQ Beef Crockpot Sandwiches
Tater Tots
Fresh Carrot Sticks, Celery Sticks, and Red Grapes

Ingredients:
2 pounds of round or sirloin steak
1 chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 jar of barbeque sauce, your choice of flavor
Whole wheat hamburger buns

In the morning:
Trim the fat from the round steak and cut into 1 inch pieces. Combine with the remaining ingredients except for the buns in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. The meat should be very tender.

In the afternoon:
Preheat the oven. Place the Tater Tots on a baking sheet and bake, following the package directions.

Slice the carrots and celery and place on a platter with a bunch of red grapes in the center.

Remove the meat from the crockpot and shred using two forks. Stir in enough sauce from the crockpot to make it creamy. Save the rest of the sauce in the refrigerator to use in the Sweet and Tangy Chicken dinner this week.

Warm the buns over a flat griddle, cut side down. Serve the meat on the warm buns.