Slow-Cooker Country-Style Ribs

Second week and the rhythm is establishing itself. I study from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. before classes. Classes from 10 to 3. Library from 4 to 7. Dinner — cooked by me, in the dorm kitchen, for whoever shows up — from 7 to 8. Study again from 8:30 to 11. Sleep. Repeat. It is not glamorous. It is not the college experience that movies suggest. It is the college experience of a girl from Scotlandville who knows that a 3.8 GPA is the minimum for medical school and that every lecture, every lab, every late-night study session is a brick in the foundation of a building she has been planning since she was twelve.

I drove home Saturday — my first time back since move-in, two weeks ago, and Mama had cooked a dinner that could feed a family of twelve even though there were only four of us. She does this. She overcooks for homecomings the way some people overdecorate for Christmas — excessively, lovingly, with the implicit message that the amount of food represents the amount of missing. There was jambalaya and fried catfish and cornbread and collard greens and sweet potato pie and I ate until I could not move, which was the point.

Daddy asked about my classes. I told him about Biology and Chemistry and he nodded in the way that a man nods when he does not understand the specifics but understands the effort, and the effort is what he cares about. He said, "You working hard?" I said yes. He said, "Good." That is the Marcus Robinson report card: Are you working hard? Good. The conversation is complete.

I brought Tupperware containers back to the dorm — Mama loaded them without being asked, three containers of jambalaya, two of greens, a whole pan of cornbread wrapped in foil. This is the Tanya Robinson care package system, and it operates on the principle that a daughter at college should never be more than a refrigerator away from a home-cooked meal. Brianna saw the Tupperware and said, "Your mom is my favorite person." Brianna has not met Mama. She does not need to. The Tupperware speaks for itself.

The jambalaya and greens Mama sent back with me lasted four days before the last container was empty and the refrigerator looked ordinary again. I am not above admitting that I stood in front of that open fridge for a long moment, feeling the specific loneliness of a Tupperware lid with nothing underneath it. I can’t recreate her jambalaya yet — that recipe lives in her hands, not mine — but country-style ribs in the slow cooker are something I can manage on a Sunday before a full week, something that fills the room with a smell that makes whoever shows up to the dorm kitchen feel like they are somewhere that matters.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 7 hrs | Total Time: 7 hrs 15 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless country-style pork ribs
1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Season the ribs. Pat the pork ribs dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne if using. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all sides of the ribs.
Layer the slow cooker. Spread the sliced onion rings across the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Scatter the minced garlic over the onions. Lay the seasoned ribs on top in a single layer as best you can, overlapping slightly if needed.
Add the liquid. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the ribs (not over the top). Spoon 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce over the ribs, spreading it to coat evenly. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for finishing.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6—8 hours, or on HIGH for 3—4 hours, until the ribs are fork-tender and pulling apart easily. Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking.
Finish under the broiler (optional but recommended). Transfer the cooked ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with the reserved 1/4 cup barbecue sauce. Broil on high for 3—5 minutes until the sauce caramelizes and edges begin to char slightly. Watch closely — they go from perfect to burnt fast.
Rest and serve. Let the ribs rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the onions and cooking juices from the slow cooker over the top, or strain and serve the juices alongside as a sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow-Cooker Country-Style Ribs — The Taste of Home When Home Is Two Hours Away