There is something mighty comforting about setting supper up early and letting the slow cooker do the heavy lifting while the day rolls on. For a long holiday weekend, these pork baby back ribs are just the sort of hearty, no-fuss meal that lets everybody relax a little more. With only four ingredients, you get tender ribs and a rich, sticky sauce that tastes like you worked far harder than you did, which is a fine old Midwestern kind of kitchen magic if you ask me.
Serve these ribs with simple sides that can stand up to all that sweet-savory sauce, like baked beans, creamy coleslaw, buttered corn on the cob, potato salad, or a big platter of watermelon. If you want to round it out for a Labor Day table, a pan of cornbread and a dish of pickles make it feel especially generous, and cold iced tea or lemonade fits right in.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Labor Day Weekend Feast
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 racks pork baby back ribs, about 4 to 5 pounds total
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs if it is still attached, then cut the racks into sections that will fit comfortably in your slow cooker.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
3. Arrange the rib sections in the slow cooker, standing them up along the sides or stacking loosely if needed. Pour the sauce over the ribs, turning the pieces a little so they are well coated.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the ribs are tender and cooked through.
5. If you like, spoon some of the sauce over the top before serving. Transfer the ribs carefully to a platter and serve hot with extra sauce from the slow cooker.
Variations & Tips
For easier cleanup: If you like, use a slow cooker liner before adding the ribs and sauce. Sticky rib sauce has a way of hanging on, and this small trick saves a good bit of scrubbing later.
Sweeter or smokier sauce: Since there are so few ingredients here, the barbecue sauce matters. Choose a honey-style sauce for a sweeter finish or a hickory one if you want deeper backyard cookout flavor without ever firing up the grill.
For a thicker sauce: If the sauce seems thinner than you want at the end of cooking, remove the ribs gently and simmer the sauce in a saucepan for a few minutes on the stove until it reduces a bit. Then spoon it right back over the meat.
Make it a full feast: These ribs hold beautifully on the warm setting for a short while, which makes them handy when folks wander in at different times over the holiday weekend. Just be careful not to leave them too long, or the meat can become overly soft and start slipping off the bone.