Try as I might, I can't let more than a month or two go by without either: succumbing to the craving to deep-fry and eat Buffalo-style chicken wings, or, experiment with a new way to enjoy the sweet-heat of Buffalo-sauced anything. Today, I decided to try my hand at low-and-slow cooked Buffalo-style pork ribs -- when they were done, I finished them off under the broiler, just to crisp the fat cap and caramelize the sauce a bit. Remember the famous ad-man line, "pork -- the other white meat"? Well, I'll be making these again, and often. Life in the 'burbs -- burp.
What started in 1964 as late-night pub grub at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, deep-fried chicken wings, is now found in many forms. Truth told, there's not much that Buffalo-style chicken can't do, and applying Buffalo wing sauce as a glaze to oven-roasted chicken leg-thigh quarters, or, stirring it into some previously roasted or poached chicken is the perfect way to transition this iconic game day snack into all sorts of other appetizers, sandwiches, main or side-dish salads, or, main-dish meals. Trust me, as a lady who loves her deep-fried wings, but, in the privacy of her own home (where she's free to lick fingers, smack lips, pick teeth, and, drip sauce), while different, my Buffalo-Style delicacies are every bit as enjoyable as classic wings.
A bit about the rack of meaty pork ribs I use to make these:
When it comes to purchasing pork spareribs, we cooks almost always have a choice to make: babyback (sometimes labeled "pork back ribs"), or, St. Louis-style (sometimes labeled "breastbone-off, pork ribs"). To the eye, babybacks are smaller (which appeals to many home cooks because they're more manageable), but, please know, this has nothing to do with the size of the pig (meaning, for those spreading false information: they're not taken from baby pigs).
Babybacks are cut from where the rib meets the spine after the loin is removed. Each rack weighs about 1 1/2-2 pounds and averages 10-13 curved, 4"-5"-long ribs. In our house, one rack will feed 2 people. St. Lewis- Style refers to the way the ribs are cut, not a style of barbecue. They are larger, meatier, and cut from the belly after the belly is removed. They get trimmed in the style of St. Lewis butchers, by cutting away the breastbone and cartilage to form a rectangular shape. Each rack weighs about 2 1/2-3 pounds and averages 12-14 flatfish, 6"-7"-long ribs. When serving these, I plan on one rack feeding 3-4 people.
A bit about the crockpot I use to slow-cook them in:
Meet Crockpot's Casserole Crock. For me, it's my latest acquisition in a long line of slow cookers. I now currently own ten different brands, models and sizes -- which is odd because, me, not-the-queen-of-crockpot-cooking, uses a slow cooker, maybe, five-six times a year. While Crockpot rightfully peddles this one as a casserole crock (because it is essentially a 13" x 9" x 3" casserole), and, it's intended to make-and-take slow-cooked casseroles (it's got lock-in-place handles and a stay-cool handle for carrying the entire contraption), I saw it as a vehicle for one small rack of St. Lewis-style ribs, to slowly cook in sauce, evenly and in comfort -- spa-style.
My slow-cooker method for Buffalo-style St. Lewis-Style ribs:
1 smallish-sized rack St. Lewis-style spareribs, about 3 pounds
Frank's RedHot Ranch, dry seasoning blend, for seasoning ribs
1 12-ounce bottle Frank's RedHot wing sauce
6 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup honey
~Step 1. To make my special sweet-heat wing sauce from the bottle of wing sauce, in a 2-quart saucepan, place: the contents of the bottle of wing sauce and the butter. Over medium-low heat, melt the butter into the wing sauce. Add the honey and whisk until the honey is thoroughly incorporated into the wing sauce/butter mixture. Sweet heat.
~Step 2. To prep and season the rack of ribs, remove ribs from packaging and pat dry in paper towels. Flip the rack, bottom side up and place it on a large work surface. Using a chef's knife or a pair of kitchen shears either remove the flap of meat that's up against the bone or trim it off. This choice is yours -- I leave it on as I adore these "bonus bites". Using a sharp-tipped paring knife, gently raise and loosen the membrane (called the silver skin) from the first rib, then, using a paper towel or two to get a grip on the membrane, slowly, but firmly, tear it off. Next, cut the rack of ribs in half. Now, lastly, season the ribs liberally on both sides with the RedHot Ranch seasoning -- don't skimp.
~Step 3. Arrange the ribs to fit in bottom of crockpot, in a single layer, slightly-overlapping the two sections is just fine (and will probably by necessary). Using a back and forth motion, slowly drizzle 3/4 cup wing sauce over the tops of the ribs. Cover the crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours, then, low for 2 hours. The tip of a knife or the tines of a fork, when pierced between any two ribs will easily glide through and come out on the other side. If desired, adjust heat to keep ribs warm for up to 1 hour prior to finishing them as directed in the next step.
~Step 4. Preheat broiler with oven rack positioned about 5" under the heat. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil, then place a sheet of parchment in the bottom of pan. Open crockpot and remove the ribs, arranging them slightly apart on the baking pan. Using a large pastry brush generously slather the the tops with additional wing sauce. Finish ribs off under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and just starting to to show signs of light browning. Watch carefully -- ribs can and will go from lightly-browned to burned quickly.
Serve 'em up atop a bed of my recipe for RedHot-Ranch Slaw:
Slow-cooked to tender perfection & gnawsomely awesome:
Slow-Cooked, Buffalo-Style St. Lewis-Style Spareribs: Recipe yields one rack of ribs/4 servings.
Special Equipment List: 2-quart saucepan; whisk; paper towels; chef's knife or kitchen shears; paring knife; Crockpot casserole; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; aluminum foil; parchment paper; pastry brush
Cook's Note: Not everyone is a master of the barbecue or smoker. Newsflash. Not everyone wants to be. While I'm more than competent on a gas grill, charcoal gives me fits and the smell of smoke gives me a headache. There's more. When the temperature in the great outdoors is threatening to blow the top off my thermometer, you won't find me outside torturing myself in the blazing heat just to prepare a rack of ribs. It's the AC for me baby, and, trust me, you're gonna love the ribs I'm making in the cool oasis called "Melanie's Kitchen". Ya gotta try my ~ Broiled & Baked Rack of St. Lewis-Style Spareribs ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2021)
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