country style ribs | Bewitching Kitchen

Pineapple is a great ingredient to add to pulled pork, as it offers acidity and a bright flavor. For the past couple of years I’ve been using country style ribs to make an approximation of pulled pork that is lower in fat, but feel free to use the real deal (pork shoulder) if you prefer. The whole preparation will be the same, but if using pork shoulder it is better to brown the meat a bit first on all sides, get rid of some of the fat before slow-cooking it.

SLOW-COOKER PINEAPPLE CARNITAS
(inspired by The Well Plated Cookbook)

3 pounds country style pork ribs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in 100% juice, left undrained
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Lightly coat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Season the pork with the salt and black pepper and add to the slow-cooker. stir together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes. In a separate bowl, stir together the pineapple with its juice, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the dry spice mixture over the pork, rubbing to try and coat evenly. Pour the pineapple mixture over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the meat is tender.

Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and heat the oven to broil. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick spray. Shred the pork while it is still inside the slow cooker, stir the pieces to coat with the sauce, then place over the prepared baking sheet. Broil until the edges of the meat begin to crisp up and turn brown.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You can enjoy carnitas in many ways, with tortillas and all sorts of tasty toppings, over white rice, mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower… Phil loves it with bolillos, one of his favorite bread these days. I served them with quickly pickled cucumbers and white rice. Leftovers seem to get better for the next couple of days, and you know we adore our leftovers.

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Years ago (2018, to be exact), I blogged on the classic version, and you can check it out here. Today, I offer you a variation using a leaner type of meat and the crockpot. Lately I’ve been exploring different uses for country style ribs, and this was a crowd-pleaser. Even if it was a crowd of two…

SLOW-COOKER PORK WITH PRUNES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 packages of country-style pork ribs, boneless
(or amount enough to fully cover the bottom of your slow-cooker, some overlapping ok)
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup pitted prunes (or amount to taste)
1/2 cup pitted black olives
2 Tbsp capers
2 tbsp Herbes de Provence
2½ tsp sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup water
juice and zest of 1 lemon (or more to taste)
fresh parsley leaves to serve

Place all the ingredients except lemon juice, zest, and parsley in your slow cooker, distributing the pieces of meat with a little overlapping if necessary.

Cook on low for 7 hours. Remove the meat gently from the liquid that accumulates in the crockpot, transfer the liquid to a large skillet and reduce it by half or more, until slightly thick. Add the meat back to the skillet, and allow to simmer with the sauce for a few minutes.

Squirt the lemon juice, add the zest and parsley, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve been on a roll with the country-style pork ribs lately. The crockpot performs miracles with this particular cut of meat, which can dry out easily. Just make sure to stop the cooking at 7 hours, so that the texture is not compromised. Once you open the crockpot, you will have excess liquid, that will be much improved by a little extra step to concentrate it. That is why in the picture you see the meat on a large non-stick frying pan. You can do this final concentrating step later, so the whole meal can be prepared a couple of days in advance, it will only get better.

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