You never hear people say, “I am really craving some down home comfort food tonight, I think I’ll flame broil a rib eye or walk an ahi tuna steak across the grill.”
When it comes to meat, barring seafood, if you want to transform it into something comforting you have to turn down the heat and take it slow. Braising, roasting, baking, and crock pot cooking were all designed to slowly incorporate comfort into your meats.
In the past couple of days the outside temperature has begun to take a tumble. These new, yet familiar, temperatures make me want to put a cover on my gas grill, turn on my oven, then dig out my roasting pans and my crock pot. I adore how my oven can act as an additional furnace and a roasted meat scented candle for my home during the fall and winter months!
The leaves are turning, the mailman is delivering periodicals studded with holiday recipes, cable knit sweaters are being transferred to the lower shelves of the closet, and my crock pot is brimming. I will end this with the phrase my father uses to end every one of his emails and most of his blog posts. Life is good!
Raspberry, Soy, Crock Pot Pork Ribs
Ingredients:
-3 to 4 lbs. country style pork ribs (I prefer boneless but all the market had was bone in)
-1 (10 oz.) jar of your favorite raspberry jam
– ½ c. soy sauce
-2 Tbsp. peeled fresh ginger (grated)
-3 tsp. fresh garlic (minced)
-S & P (1 tsp. each)
-1 Tbsp. grape seed oil (I have been using this lately, and I think I like it)
Trim pork ribs. Heat a heavy pot on the stove top over medium high to high heat. Add oil to pot. Sprinkle pork ribs with S & P on all sides. Brown pork ribs, on all sides (working in batches) in hot pot. About 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Pile ribs into your crock pot.
In a medium bowl, stir together raspberry jam, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Pour raspberry mixture over ribs in crock pot. Place lid on crock pot. Cook on low heat for ~ 6 hours. Or cook on high heat for 3 to 4 hours. EAT!!!
Note: My recipe was adapted from this recipe I found on Epicurious from Gourmet Magazine January 2005. Thanks for the great idea!
Compelling Calorie Clue:
~ 1/2 cup of Blueberry Mini Spooners = 100 calories. I like to eat these plain for a snack. They are a little dry w/o milk but they are extremely filling.
