Slow Cooker Orange & Bourbon Glazed Ribs

August 5, 2012
Well, I hate to say it, but summer is almost over. Gasp! I’m sorry to state the obvious, but as my sister-in-law told me, we are in the midst of the Sunday of our weekend that was summer.
You see, to my educator sister-in-law, the summer is like a weekend.  June is Friday, July is Saturday, and August is Sunday.  We, my friends, are in the Sunday of our summer.
It’s not so bad, though. There are pluses to the fall.  For me, it’s boots, sweaters, and blazers. Everybody has something they love about autumn.
My brother Nick is already gearing up for football season. Yes, he is one of those Bears fanatics that are out there tailgating through rain or shine, or even snow for their home games.
I myself have only been to one pre-season Bears game ever. With a fanatic football fan for a brother, this is a fact I am ashamed to admit. So, Nick is already on my case about going to at least one game this season.
He has challenged me to come up with some tailgating food. “Come on Miss ‘I have a food blog’,” were his exact words to me. Challenge accepted!
So, mister soon to be dad who is trying to plan for a baby and tailgating at the same time, here you go!
Nick told me that ribs were kind of difficult to handle under the time constraints of tailgating. Naturally, as the jerk of an older sister that I am, I had to point out how he went wrong and then set out to do it better. It’s all a part of a good healthy sibling relationship.
This way of cooking ribs is so easy. All you have to do is put everything in the slow cooker the night before, cook on low for 12 hours, wake up, get your tailgating gear ready, and grab your still warm and perfectly tender ribs and head out the door.
See ya at the game, Niko! (As long as it isn’t sub-zero temperatures.) I’ll bring the ribs.
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
2 ½ lbs. Pork Loin Baby Back Ribs
For the Rub:
½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Pepper
For the Sauce:
1 Naval Orange, segmented and chopped
1 Shallot, minced
3 Tablespoons Bourbon
1 Tablespoon Honey
2 Cups Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce
Start off by cutting the rack of ribs into four or eight smaller portions.
Add the cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Rub the seasonings into both sides of each portion of the pork ribs. Cover with plastic wrap and then set the dish with the ribs in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to twelve hours.
When you are ready to start cooking the ribs, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and allow them to come up to room temperature while you prep the sauce.
Add the chopped orange, minced shallot, bourbon, honey, and BBQ sauce to the slow cooker. Whisk thoroughly to make sure it is evenly combined.
Add the ribs to the sauce. Set the cooker on low. Cook for 10 to 12 hours. I highly recommend starting this the night before you plan or eating them.
Serve the ribs with your favorite BBQ side dish. Make sure to add a little of the excess sauce to the top of the ribs before serving.
Ribs will last up to five days under refrigeration in an air-tight container. Reheat in the microwave or oven with a little extra sauce on top. If you are taking these to tailgate, wrap the ribs in foil and place in indirect heat for a few minutes to warm them up.

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  • Carol
    February 2, 2016 at 1:27 pm

    These ribs sound really good and I know my husband will like them. I want to try them soon. Thank you for the recipe. I do wish there was a way to print just the recipe and not everything else on the page, waste a lot of ink.

    • Stefanie
      February 3, 2016 at 6:21 pm

      I am sorry. I made this recipe back when I didn’t have a print recipe only option.

  • DB-The Foodie Stuntman
    August 7, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    Hmmmm….I just checked. Your brother and I won’t be getting along on Sunday, November 19th. I am a ‘Niners fan. In all honesty, I’ve been to a few games at Candlestick Park and you can see more on TV. I even had seats on the 45 yard line 11 rows up from the sideline and you still don’t see much. Why? Because the TV camera is in your way when the line of scrimmage is near midfield.

    In terms of ribs, if yourbrother still isn’t satisfied, tell him to try a smoker bag (they can be found at specialty grocery stores or online) and he can have ribs 90 minutes ito his tailgate party. Your rub and sauce sounds tasty, though.

    • Stefanie
      August 8, 2012 at 9:24 am

      I will let him know about that. Thanks DB!

  • MissMessy
    August 6, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    My dad would love these! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂

    • Stefanie
      August 6, 2012 at 9:15 pm

      Thanks for the compliment! I do hope you try them!