Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs with potatoes, sauerkraut, apples and carrots. A complete meal in one pot and comfort food at its best. Adding apple juice to the broth delivers a juicy tangy meal with maximum flavor. Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs is a hearty fix and forget it meal that your family will love.
I’ve had this slow cooker country style ribs recipe as long as I’ve had my crockpot. Literally, it was a recipe included in the little instruction booklet that came with my first crockpot. Do you pay any attention to those? I’ve found some really good ideas in them.
When it comes to comfort food that’s both hearty and satisfying, few dishes can rival the tender goodness of slow cooker country style ribs. These succulent cuts of meat are a true testament to the magic of slow cooking – transforming tough, inexpensive cuts into mouthwatering masterpiece.
This recipe is a sweet, sour and savory meal. Crock pot country style ribs are a pleasure to come home to after a busy day.
Table of contents
Why You’re Going To Love This Recipe
- Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs is a hearty fix and forget it meal. Let your slow cooker do the work.
- The flavor combination of sauerkraut and pork is classic and delish!
- Cooking country pork ribs in the slow cooker returns a melt in your mouth experience.
- The recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight or weekend dinner.
- You’re looking at a stress free simple dinner.
What Are Country Pork Ribs?
A country pork rib isn’t really a rib at all. In other words, there’s a bit of identity crisis involved. It’s a blade chop that comes from the area between the loin and the shoulder. They contain no ribs but instead part of the scapula.
Since it comes from close to the shoulder blade, they’re meatier than rib cuts. Some say you should grill them and some say cook them low and slow. Country Style Pork Ribs can be found two ways.
- The blade end near the shoulder. For this cut, blade end loin chops are cut into pieces. They an be sold bone-in. They will probably be labeled pork loin country-style ribs. You’ll find them with nice marbling which results in great flavor.
- From The shoulder. Boneless pork ribs can also be thick strips cut from pork shoulder steaks. They are sometimes labeled as pork shoulder country-style ribs. These ribs are fattier and also quite tasty.
Chose either bone-in or boneless for this slow cooker ribs and potatoes recipe.
How To Make Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs, It’s Easy
Aromas of pork ribs with potatoes, sauerkraut, apples and onions fill the house. Let’s get started with step by step instructions.
- Step 1: We’ll start by salt and peppering the ribs then coating them with flour. Shake off the excess flour and brown in two tablespoons of vegetable oil until golden on each side. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it’s responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
- Step 2: Next, layer the vegetables in the crock pot.
- Start with small new potatoes. Or you can use large potatoes that have been cubed or thick sliced.
- Add some large chunks of carrots. And then some sweet onion that’s been peeled, sliced in half , ringed and then cut into crescents.
- On top of the onions, we’ll sprinkle on a small can of sauerkraut that’s been quickly rinsed and drained.
- Step 6: The next step is to add a tablespoon of fennel and some apple juice. We’re big fan of fennel, so as you can see that spoon is heaping. You can also add caraway if you’d like.
- Step 7: We’ll slice an apple and then place those on top of the sauerkraut in the slow cooker.
- Step 8: The final step is to snuggle the ribs on the top. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
FAQ’s
Guidelines indicate that you should cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. However following instructions for this slow cooker method, you’ll know when the ribs are done when fall apart fork tender. A rib that doesn’t flake easily isn’t done.
Absolutely. You’ll need a 6 – 7 quart Dutch oven to hold everything. Just follow the recipe instructions. Set oven temperature at 350 degrees. Ribs should be cooked in 3 – 4 hours.
Country style ribs don’t actually come from the rib area of the pig and are usually sold boneless. They are actually cut from the shoulder blade area.
Storage:
- Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 – 5 days.
- To re-heat just place a portion on a microwave safe dish, cover with a parchment paper or a loose plastic lid. Heat in increments of 15 seconds at 50% power.
- Any leftover ribs can be frozen in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 3 months. I don’t recommend freezing the cooked vegetables, as the texture will become compromised.
Gather round that table and enjoy this savory slow cooker country style ribs meal.
Slow cooker country style ribs are a nod to the magic that happens when an inexpensive cut of meat is slow roasted in a crockpot. They are transformed to a tender texture with an incredible depth of flavor. Country style pork ribs are a testament to the beauty of slow cooking.
With a little preparation, a dash of creativity, and a whole lot of patience, you can craft a dish that will have your loved ones coming back for seconds – and asking for the recipe. So, fire up your slow cooker, embrace the process, and prepare to savor boneless ribs in the crock pot.
You simply can’t beat this country style ribs slow cooker recipe. Plus, this is one of the few recipes I found for Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs without bbq sauce.
Related Recipes
And if you’re looking for more pork recipes, don’t miss my Pork Category. You’ll find lots of mouthwatering ideas. Including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili with Pork Roast.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs with Sauerkraut and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 pounds country style pork ribs
- salt/pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 10 new red potatoes (or two large russets cubed or thick sliced)
- 2 medium carrots sliced thick
- 1 onion sliced and then halved
- 1-15 ounce can sauerkraut drained
- ½ cup apple juice
- 1 teaspoon caraway seed
- 1 Tablelspoon fennel seed
- 1 whole apple cored and sliced
- salt/pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 2 Tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Place the flour on a plate. Salt and pepper ribs and dredge the ribs in the flour until coated. Shake off excess flour. In a large fry pan, heat the oil until hot and sear the ribs until golden on each side. Remove to paper towel to drain.
- In the crackpot layer, potatoes, carrots, onion, and sauerkraut. Pour on the apple juice, sprinkle on the spices and then add the whole apple on top. Season with salt and pepper and then snuggle the ribs on top of the ingredients. Cook on low all day.
- If you’d like, remove ingredients from crockpot and place juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer combing water/flour mixture and apples. Simmer for a couple of minutes and use as gravy.
- Or serve directly from the crockpot.
Notes
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs …It’s What’s For Dinner
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
My DIL now has my crockpot…. sometimes I am tempted when I go into Williams Sonoma, but restrain myself now that I live alone. Recipes like this one make me long for one though.
Look wonderful, Lea Ann!
Happy New Year to you!
When my mom lived alone, she bought a smaller crockpot and used it all the time. Real handy for easy small meals. Happy New Year Barbara.
Those ribs look so moist and succulent!
Thanks so much. And they were. 🙂
Yes, I do pay attention to those little pamphlets. Your recipe is a good case for opening the little booklets. Gorgeous photos and food, Lea Ann! Thank you for sharing =)
Thanks Ninja Baker. I’m glad I’m not the only one who looks at those recipes. Thanks for stopping by and the comment.
I’m pretty sure I have that same instruction book from a crockpot I had once…
These are wonderful!
Dig it out RMW. 🙂 I keep those silly things too.
A great big welcome to Sunday Supper! So glad you shared this recipe because I just love pork and sauerkraut and all the rest of the ingredients too. Now I need to see if I can find that little booklet that came with my crockpot. Who knows what great recipes I may discover in it. (It’s an old one too).
Thank you so much for that warm welcome Renee. I must say my first experience with the group has been great. Look forward to posting with the group in 2014.
Delicious and mouthwatering pork ribs. Wonderfully prepared. Have bookmarked it.
Deepa
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Deepa. Let me know how you like it when you make it.
Great sweet and savory combo! A true classic.
I love those sweet and savory combos. Thanks so much for stopping in and the comment Brianne.
Mouth watering for sure, love the combination of ingredients!!
Me too Tara. I love that sweet/sour/salty/savory thing.
WOW. This recipe sounds fabulous – great step by step directions, too!
Thanks so much Adri. So nice of you to stop by.
This speaks to my Pennsylvania Dutch roots! Welcome to Sunday Supper!
It speaks to my Pennsylvania Dutch and I’m not even Pennsylvania Dutch.
This looks great! The crock pot cooks everything so perfectly!
It sure does Claire. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m not really a pork lover, but this looks great even for me!
Thanks so much Gintare. Does that include bacon??? 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and the comment.
Thanks Tammy. I agree, very nice meeting another first timer. And thanks so much for that pin. Always appreciate that.
If there’s one food combo that brings back delicious childhood memories it’s pork and apples. The=is looks fantastic!
I always love a sweet/salty flavor combination. And Pork and apples make such nice partners.
What a meal, Lea Ann! I haven’t had a crockpot in years, but they are so popular it makes me wonder if I should rethink this! I’ll bet you had a great Sunday Supper!
Abbe, I’ve never been without one. I really like using it, even in the Summer months.
Welcome to the Sunday Supper group! These ribs sound amazing, and this is a great dish to bring in the new year!
Thanks so much for having me .. and the visit and comment.
A delicious and comforting meal – whether it’s dinner or supper :).
Thanks Susan .. I agree.
Yummmmm! I love the apples, sauerkraut and pork combo with all those root veggies. Looking at all those beautiful pictures made my mouth water. Seriously. My mother called it supper always. I love that word and the visions it conjures up!
Thanks Vickie. It was always Supper at our house… you’re my Kansas sister. 🙂
Ribs seem to be something we order in restaurants but I don’t make them at home– now I can, thanks for the recipe!
I’m no good with ribs, so yes, order them out. But these country style ribs are a different animal than Baby back or spare. Much more forgiving to cook. Thanks Holly. Stay warm.
Thanks for visiting my blog! What a delicious and comforting meal! Perfect for the cold weather here in CT!Happy New Year!
You’re so very welcome Erica. I’ve been a lurker for awhile and finally had to comment on that delicious recipe.