The Consumption: Welcome Back Ribs!

I marinated all of the ingredients together in a covered 11 x 13 glass dish.  The short ribs were ideal.  I bought two packs of 4.  They were each about 4 in. long, which was perfect for the crock.  In the morning, I added the contents of the dish to the crock pot.  The aroma was already incredible.  I was already looking forward to coming home for dinner.

When I first bought the ribs, I was reminded of red muscles, which is a scary thought.  After cooking in the crock all day, the ribs turned a beautiful brown color.  Some of the meat had already fallen off the bones, and was floating among the veggies and fruit.  I served on a bed of white rice with bread and a small garden side salad.  The meat became boneless!  Literally, falling off the bones.  I was picking them up, and the meat slid off.

I had never eaten ribs before, and had always thought the ingredient would be difficult to prepare.  For some reason, I imagined ribs could only be grilled and should be served at a cookout.  I know restaurants prepare them, but I had seen nothing like these ribs.  If ribs were prepared in the crock each time I ate them, you can count me in for dinner!  After a hard day at work, I was so happy to be welcomed back with a great home cooked meal.

Tips & Tricks

• Ribfest - Chicago's Rib Mania Eating Championship 

- Chef Mimi

Challenges: To cook with the bone in or out?

First, I would like to say thank you to all of the workers at the Lix (Publix) that helped me choose the items I needed to make this meal!

I was puzzled when I approached the meat section at the Lix and saw 3 types of ribs.  Two were beef (spare ribs and short ribs) and the other was boneless pork ribs.

I was so confused on what to buy, I had to call my Crockin-N-Rollin expert, Chef Tiffany.  After a few laughs, I felt like I needed to ask “the Meat Guy” AKA the all knowing butcher at Lix.

I stood by the meat section for-EV-er, and finally was approached by 2 Lix managers.  I explained I was looking for boneless beef ribs and that I had never cooked them before.  Both laughed, and asked what had I been eating my whole life?

They informed me most people prefer to have the bone-in for added flavor. The butcher finally returned to his post and convinced me the short ribs were, “Where it’s at when cooking with a slow cooker!”  

Instead of using boneless spare ribs, I chose chuck short ribs.  Find out how good my decision was in The Consumption.

Tips & Tricks

• What are short ribs?
• Bone adds flavor
• Anatomy of a kitchen knife

- Chef Mimi

The Recipe: Sweet and Sour Country Style Spareribs

Prep:  25 mins
Cook:  Low 8 hours, High 5 hours
Serving Size:  8
Category:  Beef, Pork & Lamb

Ingredients:

• 3-4  pounds boneless beef ribs (or Pork)
• 1  large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper, thickly sliced
• 3 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (20-oz.) can pineapple chunk, undrained
• 2 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Place ribs in slow cooker. In a bowl, combine pineapple, tomato sauce, onion, green pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic.

Pour mixture over the ribs; cover and cook low 8 to 10 hours, or until ribs are cooked through and tender. ENJOY!!!

Tips & Tricks:

- What is packed brown sugar?
- The different cuts of ribs
- Cooking with canned foods

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Boneless Ribs

When I began this project, I did not realize how easy it would be to choose any ingredient and make it taste great in the slow cooker.

When discussing Crock-N-Roll with people, I keep hearing "OH, YOU GOTTA TRY RIBS!"

I have to be honest, I do not eat ribs that often and I never order them when I go out to eat. However, I am ready for a new challenge.

This next recipe will truly test my crock skills!

Tips and Tricks:

• Types of Ribs 
• How to Buy Ribs
• The Zen of Barbecue & Grilling:  AmazingRibs.com

Comment below and tell me your favorite way to eat ribs...

- Chef Mimi

The Consumption: 1st Place Firecracker Chili

First Things First:  I heart Texas Pete hot sauce!

This was my first attempt at making chili and I have to say I did an AMAZ job!  The ingredients were very easy to prep, simply browning the ground turkey and chopping all the fresh veggies into 1 inch think pieces (a tad larger than my previous attempts), I created a crunchy medley of flavors.
  

I cooked my chili for a little over 3 hours, giving it just enough time to fill my kitchen with the enticing smell of savory spices.

This chili was fantastic!!!  I would def enter this in a contest!  The melted shredded cheese and dollop of sour cream thickened the chili sauce, making it the perfect constancy.

Growing up, my other mom, Randi, would make a delish chili, layering Fritos in the bottom of our bowls, then topping with chili, shredded cheese and sour cream.  I decided to serve mine the same way!  Our friends, Kacey and Dave, said the Fritos created a Mexican-style pasta dish.  The chili coated and soaked these flavorful corn chips, making them easy to chew and fun to crunch!

I was definitely Crockin-N-Rollin!

I loved this recipe and I am very impressed with my creation!

 Tips & Tricks:

• Competion Chili Cooking
• BTW, Texas Pete Chili Sauce

- Chef Mimi

The Recipe: Firecracker Turkey Chili

Prep:  20 mins
Cook:  Low 8 hours, Hight 4 hours
Serving Size:  6 - 8
Category:  Soups and Stews

Ingredients:

• 1   pound ground turkey
• 1   15-ounce can dark red kidney beans
• 1   14.5-ounce can Hunts fire roasted diced tomatoes 
• 1   can mild Rotel diced toms & green chile peppers
• 1   can Campbell's condensed tomato bisque soup 
• 1   6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1/2  cup of water
• 1   cup chopped celery
• 1   large onion, chopped
• 2   green peppers, chopped
• 2   fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2   large garlic cloves, minced
• 1   cup frozen corn
• 5   tablespoons Texas Pete Hot Sauce
• 3   teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream

Preparation:

In a large skillet cook turkey until brown. Drain off fat.

Combine cooked turkey, beans (drained), celery, onion, green pepper, jalapeno peppers and corn in the crock.  Add undrained tomatoes (Hunts & Rotel), 1/2 can of tomato bisque soup, Texas Pete Hot Sauce, water, tomato paste, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Mix.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.  Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Tips and Tricks:

• The History of Rotel 
• Secrets to Cooking Vegetables in the Crock
• Hot Peppers and How to Handle Them

- Chef Tiffany

The Ingredient: Texas Pete Hot Sauce

I absolutely LOVE this hot sauce!  I use it on almost everything:  pizza, sandwiches, quesadillas, eggs, wings, tacos, fried rice, pasta and even salads!

Tex Pete adds just enough hot to my unflavored whatever, and is the secret ingredient to most of the meals I make.

I am anxious to see which slow cooker recipe features what I call, the world's best hot sauce!

Tips and Tricks: 

• Hot Sauce Blog:  If It's Not Here, It's Not Hot Enough
• Become an official Texas Pete fan on FB (Facebook)
• The Legend of Texas Pete

- Chef Mimi