Tag Archives: crock pot

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs + Paleo BBQ Sauce

Fall officially begins on Saturday and for me that means it is time to bust out the crock pot. (You KNOW how much I love the crock pot, right?) I’ve been doing a little experimenting and revisiting some old stand-bys and I have to say I think this season should be full of yummy (convenient) eats! When it starts getting dark early I all of a sudden crave the Blue Plate Special served promptly at 5pm at my favorite bbq restaurant. The crock pot always helps make that happen.

But it’s also great on the weekends when you are dying for comfort food but don’t want to be standing over the stove — and you can file this recipe in that category. Recently around these parts there was a huge sale on Baby Backs at Whole Foods and I decided I needed some ribs!

Legit need.

You know the kind, right? Tender meat, falling off the bone, covered in saucy deliciousness? I wanted exactly that, except we were in the middle of our Whole 30 and rocking the super strictly Paleo! A good (completely) sugar free BBQ sauce is the El Chupacabra of the Paleo world. You always here that it exists, but up until recently I had never actually had success tasting one.

Luckily I found a recipe for BBQ Sauce in the back of It Starts With Food that was a sugar free riff on a Cooks Illustrated Quick BBQ Sauce and it’s official I HAVE SEEN (AND TASTED) EL CHUPACABRA. So I took to making a huge batch and slathering it all over some ribs!

May I suggest you do the same?

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs + Paleo BBQ Sauce
Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 6 hours
Total time: 6 hours 45 mins
Makes 2 cups of BBQ Sauce and 2-3 lbs of ribs.
Ingredients
    • 2 Cups Tomato Sauce
    • 2/3 Cups Unsweetened Apple Sauce
    • 4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 4 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos
    • 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
    • 2 teaspoons Hot Pepper Sauce (I like Trader Joe’s Chili Pepper Sauce)
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 Tablespoon Ghee or GrassFed Butter
    • 2 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced
    • 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne (use more for extra SPICE!)
    • 1 yellow onion, medium dice
    • 2-3 lbs Pork Baby Back Ribs
  • Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste
Instructions
    1. Mix tomato sauce, apple sauce vinegar, aminos, mustard, hot pepper sauce and black pepper until they are combined
    1. In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat and add garlic, chili powder, paprika and cayenne, stirring until fragrant
    1. Stir in your tomato sauce mixture and bring to a boil
    1. Simmer gently uncovered for 25-30 minutes
    1. Cool to room temperature in mason jar or other refrigerator safe container
    1. Meanwhile prep your crockpot by dicing one yellow onion and spreading it on the bottom of your slow cooker
    1. Liberally season your racks of ribs with salt, pepper and garlic powder
    1. Cut your racks to fit into slow cooker then stack a rack of ribs, coat with BBQ sauce and repeat until it’s full.
    1. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the meat is falling off the bones
  1. Serve with a dipper of BBQ sauce on the side

There are lots of different ways to make ribs, and I love experimenting with all cooking methods. But something tells me that with football season coming up and Sundays spent lounging on the couch staying warm that this recipe will be the perfect fit.


30 Nights of Paleo Crock Pot Meals

November is in full swing and if your calendar looks anything like mine, the rest of the year is going to go by in a flash! This is the hardest time of year to keep to healthy habits but it is also the time of year when our bodies need them most. Practice a little self-love this year and don’t let your calendar be the boss of you!

To keep myself eating healthy while I’m busy this season my plan is to Meal Plan (Like A Boss!) and take advantage of my beloved Crock Pot. Maybe you would like to do the same?

In case you need a little inspiration to brush the dust off of your slow-cooking sanity saver I compiled a list of 30 Paleo-Friendly Slow Cooker Recipes.

Hope you enjoy them!

(And, of course, the holiday season!)

1. Smokey Roast
2. Tex Mex Crock Pot Carnitas
3. Lemon Garlic Crock Pot Chicken
4. Braised Short Ribs with Figs
5. Crock Pot Jalapeno Roast
6. Garlic Beef Stew with Cauliflower Mash
7. Slow Cooker Lemongrass and Coconut Chicken Drumsticks
8. Creamy Cashew Chicken Soup with Kale
9. Crock Pot Pernil
10. Sweet & Savory Sage Stew with Pumpkin
11. Crock Pot Salsa Pork Chops with Cumin
12. Slow Cooker Chicken Mole
13. Crock Pot Braised Beef Shanks
14. Balsamic Roast
15. Slow Cooked Asian Pepper Steak
16. Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
17. Pork Loin and Butternut Squash Stew
18. Southwestern Pot Roast
19. Crock Pot Italian Meatballs
20. Crock Pot Thai Green Curry
21. Mexican Shredded Chicken Stuffed Peppers
22. Crock Pot Pork and Green Chili Stew
23. Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon
24. Easy Asian Lettuce Wraps
25. Slow Cooker Roast Chicken and Gravy
26. Crock Pot Greek Stew
27. Italian Style Chuck Roast
28. Crock Pot Jambalaya
29. Caraway Chicken with Belgian Endive
30. Slow Cooked Cinnamon Pork Loin with Parsnips

*****

It’s official, you have no excuse to not make dinner! 😉


Crock Pot Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps

One of the things I missed most when I first went Paleo was the ability to throw a chunk of meat in the crock pot, cover it in sauce, serve in on a freshly baked roll and call it dinner.  Most pre-made sauces are loaded with sugar and since I no longer eat anything on a bun, my crockpot gathered a bit of dust while I transitioned.  But when I rediscovered my love for lettuce wraps (HOLY MOSES those are good!) I busted out my crockpot again and sang love songs to it because it makes my weeknight life so much easier. 

After a few trials and tribulations, and some super disgusting dinners (which, HELLO, seem like an extra betrayal when they happen in the crockpot because you come home expecting dinner to be ready only to find out that you have to figure out a Plan B!)  I finally came up with a a combo of yummy flavors that has found its way into the regular rotation in our kitchen.  And a bonus, it gets Garrett to eat pork with a smile!  Although you could certainly substitute chicken in this dish and get great results.  

Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps  

For the chunk of meat
2-3 lbs of pork shoulder or any type of pork roast (or this would be super good with chicken thighs or chicken breasts)
Liberally salt and pepper and if you’re feeling really crazy throw in 3-4 smashed whole garlic cloves.  If you don’t feel crazy, just sprinkle on some garlic powder

For the sauce
Mix all of the following:
4 TBS Coconut Aminos (or Soy Sauce if that’s your bag)
2 TBS Almond Butter  (Peanut Butter would be fine too)
1 TBS Honey  (I eyeball it)
2 TBS Vinegar (I’ve used a bunch of different ones, just to get some acid in there)
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 TBS Sriracha (or more if you are real spicy)
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 TBS minced ginger  (dude, I totally used the jarred stuff sometimes, go for it!)

Recipe Steps
1.  Put prepared chunk of meat in crockpot
2.  Pour sauce over it
3.  Resist the urge to add more liquid (you will want to, don’t you worry you don’t have to)
4.  Set and forget  (well for about 4-6 hours at least on your low setting)

THIS, internet, is how I like my crock pot recipes.  Short, sweet and tasty!

When it is done cooking shred with a fork and serve atop your favorite lettuce and add the garnish of your choice.  Because I am usually lazy on the weeknights, I throw on some pre-shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw and slice up a bell pepper for some color and call it a day.  You could do any toppings you want — chopped peanuts, jicama, cilantro, shredded carrots.  And Garrett says don’t forget the extra hot sriracha sauce!  But that guy is crazy for heat, so take his advice with a grain of salt (and a glass of water!)

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