- 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 large onion, sliced into thin wedges
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 rack of ribs (I used beef short ribs, but any kind will do)
- 1-2 T. BBQ seasoning rub - use your favorite or make your own
- 1/4 c. maple syrup
- Salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper, to taste
Place the undrained tomatoes, onion slices, and crushed garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker. Generously rub the ribs with your choice of BBQ seasoning and place the ribs on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook the ribs on LOW for 3-4 hours.
Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a plate tented with aluminum foil. Carefully pour the remaining contents of the slow cooker into a medium sauce pan. Bring the pan drippings to a simmer over medium-low heat and add the maple syrup. Using an immersion blender, coarsely blend the drippings to make a thick sauce. Adjust the seasonings as desired.
Heat your oven to 400°F, your grill to medium heat, or your smoker to medium heat. Brush some of the sauce over the ribs and bake, grill, or smoke until desired consistency has been reached. Reapply the sauce throughout the process and check the consistency of the ribs by carefully moving the end of a rib bone to see how easily it moves. The more tender the meat, the easier it will be to move the rib bones. Serve with additional BBQ sauce, if desired.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: About half a day - but most of the time will be slow-cooking time that does not require supervision