This is a pretty easy recipe as they come, but no less tasty! Country-Style Pork Ribs are a very versatile protein. If I’m not grilling them on the BBQ (my favorite), I love using them to stir fry. But for this recipe, I broke out the trusty (non-trademark infringing) slow cooker.
For this recipe you’ll need:
- 1-2 packages of Country-Style Pork Ribs
- 2-3 cups of Bell Pepper Strips
- 1 large can of Sweet & Sour Sauce
- Seasoning
For Sides:
- 3 packages of Yellow Rice
- 3 bags of Stir Fry Vegetables
First… Line the bottom of your slow cooker with pepper strips. I use pre-cut frozen pepper strips from GFS. They are $6.00 for 5 lbs. and work well when you are bulk cooking. They are fresher than fresh at the grocery because they are cut and frozen at the peak of freshness. :P They are also a major time saver. And in most cases, less expensive that fresh, which is pointless when you are cooking them down anyway. #protip
You can use bone-in or boneless ribs. For this cooking method, it’s a matter of taste (no pun intended). When grilling, bone-in tends to taste better and has less chance of being overcooked, but I also enjoy the boneless, because no one has time to fight their meat. :D
Bone-in will tend to be cheaper by the pound, but if you take into account the weight of the bones you don’t end up eating, sometimes it’s better to go boneless. #protip
Season your ribs on all sides. I used a salt-free seasoning that I picked up at our local Ollie’s. It’s a great go-to cover all bases blend that contains Onion, Black Pepper, Celery Seed, Marjoram, Basil, Mustard, Cayenne Pepper, Parsley, Garlic, Carrots, and Lemon. How can you go wrong with that?!
I’m also using a premade sauce, also from GFS. They have many available but their Sweet & Sour is on point. It already contains some Bell Peppers and tons of Pineapple Chunks, so it saves the step of opening up another can. They have loads of other options that make cooking quicker, so check them out if you aren’t already a shopper.
Once your ribs are seasoned, layer them on top of the peppers already in the slow cooker. Since I am using both bone-in and boneless, I put the bone-in on the lowest layer, closest to the direct heat. Top your first layer with half of your sauce.
Add your second layer of seasoned ribs. I used the boneless on the top, as they will cook faster than the bone-in.
Cover with your remaining sauce and put on your lid. Set your temperature to low (for 8 hours) or high (4-6 hours).
Serve with Rice and Vegetables. I love Knorr Sides because they are cheap and quick to prepare. 2 cups of water, 12 minutes in the microwave, done! And I can’t say enough how much we love frozen vegetables. The prep work is already done for you, and blends come at all price points. GFS has great blends that I use often. For today’s recipe we lucked out on a sale at our local Shop n’ Save. $1.00 bags of their “premium” blends, which is retail speak for “the bag isn’t full of stems.”
Price Breakdown:
- Boneless Ribs: (@$1.98/lb) $4.89
- Bone-In Ribs: (@$1.00/lb) $3.88
- Yellow Rice: (@$1.00/each) $3.00
- Frozen Vegetable Blends: (@$1.00/each) $3.00
- GFS Sweet & Sour Sauce: $5.99
Total Cost: $20.76
Portions (12): $1.73 each