Gluten-Free Barbecue Sauce and Ribs
The secret ingredient? Sweet apple cider! :)
- 4
Ingredients
- Sauce:
- "Dry rub"
- garlic salt, cinnamon, & pepper; also have an extra cup of cider or water for cooking the ribs in the slow-cooker.
- 1 c apple cider
- 2 pinches cloves
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 2 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 c packed brown sugar
- 2 good pinches black pepper
- 1/2 c and 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- Makes 1 1/3 cup barbecue sauce (enough for 2-2 1/2 pounds ribs).
- I used 1 pound country bone-in ribs and 1 pound baby back ribs. Baby back are way better!
Preparation
Step 1
First, sprinkle/lightly coat about 2 pounds of ribs with cinnamon, garlic salt and pepper.
Then put 1 cup water or apple cider into crockpot, then cook onLOWfor 3 hours. (Pour the water/cider on the sides of the ribs so that you don’t rinse off the seasoning.)
Work on the sauce: Start by combining the apple cider, tomato paste with all of the dry spices/seasonings. Cook on low, mix/stir in the sugar. Add the apple cider vinegar. Mix, then add the worcestershire sauce. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes, then just add half the liquid smoke. Uncover and continue stirring until it’s the desired consistency (you want it a little runny so that it doesn’t over-dry when you add it to the ribs). Toward the end, add the rest of the liquid smoke and cook for only about 30 seconds. Remove from sauce pan, pour in a 2 cup measuring cup (should amount to about 1 1/3 cups of sauce). Let it cool in the cup for about 20 minutes at room temp, then cover with foil and refrigerate until it’s ready to use.
After 3 hours add 1/2 barbecue sauce. Cook one more hour.
After the hour, pour out about 2/3 of the liquid in the slow cooker. Cook either one more hour in the slow-cooker then add the rest of the barbecue sauce or cook for half an hour in the crock pot and 15 minutes in the oven at 400, to seal the barbecue sauce on the ribs.