cooking spare ribs in slow cooker/crock pot?

I'd put a layer of halved onions & maybe a couple of oranges in the bottom of the slow cooker to act as sort of a trivet while releasing a little bit of flavour into the ribs.

I'd then put the ribs on top of the onions/oranges & leave to cook like that - with NO STOCK. You honestly don't need it, I regularly cook joint of meat, whole chickens etc this way. The juices from the meat & veg will keep the meat moist & tender. If you cook them in water a lot of flavour will be lost.

I'd then add the sauce for maybe the last 45mins.

All of the answers I just read above me are workable. I layer on the BBQ sauce first, and then, I use my broiler for a while to get a crunchy browned appearance, and then put the ribs with all the drippings I collect in the broiler into the crock pot. Some people discard the fat and oil given off when broiling, but I prefer to keep the added flavor they provide. I prefer vegetable stock myself instead of plain water. In the crockpot, low and slow is the way to go. My goal is to simmer until the liquid level is reduced by at least half. I fish out the bones, Grissel and other hard parts and the rest I shred. Add a little more spices to the mix,a little BBQ sauce and heap the meat on a bun with the juices as a dipping sauce on the side, Yummy...

I did this last weekend

how i did it:

stuck the ribs on a baking sheet on foil, and put them in a 400 degree oven for about 15 min per side until they start to brown, and much of the greese drains onto the pan, then transferred them to the slow cooker and covered with BBQ sauce for 6 hours... they came out amazing and tender.

cooking them in the oven (or grilling them) 1st will give more flavor because it browns the meat, carmelizing it, you wouldn't get this by boiling the meat.

that would work, and would be faster if you are pressed for time. BUT you don't need to do that. Put them in the crock pot then add some water, or beef or chicken stock. it MUST have some liquid in there to keep them moist. You can put the sauce on them at the beginning or at the end. just make sure you have liquid in the crock.

BARBECUED SPARE RIBS

(3 quart crock pot)

3 pounds pork loin country-style ribs

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 teaspoon ground mustard

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Bake spare ribs in 500 degree F oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

Drain grease and place spare ribs in Slow Cooker.

Mix all other ingredients to make a sauce. Pour sauce over spare ribs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Crock Pot Size: 3 quart

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BARBECUED SPARE RIBS

(5 quart crock pot)

4 to 6 lbs. pork loin country-style ribs

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bake spare ribs in oven at 500 degrees F for 45 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

Drain grease and place spare ribs in Slow Cooker.

Mix all other ingredients to make a sauce. Pour sauce over spare ribs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours or until tender.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Crock Pot Size: 5 quart

I boil first and get rid of the fat, then cook in crockpot for about 4 hours on low (depending on how many you are cooking). Then put on BBQ sauce and let cook another hour. mmmmmm....good!!!!!

Don't boil them first. The fat is where most of the flavor is, so if you boil them you are washing away most of the flavor.

good idea. they are so tasty caramelized in honey!