slow cooker bbq pork ribs

I make these BBQ ribs at least once a month. The boys love it, and i'm growing to love it. I don't mind making them because you basically whack everything in the slow cooker and let it go for 6 hours....then voila, dinners ready! The recipe turns out better and better each time i make it and it is now a staple for anything we want to make homemade BBQ sauce for. We've made chicken whole and breasts, it really tastes GOOD!

Basically we have finely chopped shallot, crushed garlic, salt, garlic powder, pepper, oregano, thyme, beef stock, onion powder, paprika, BBQ sauce and brown sugar with a little water.

Look at those lovely pork ribs all smothered in deliciousness! And the smell!

After 6 hours, turning occasionally and stirring up the flavours, this is what the ribs look like and the meat is so tender and falling off the bone! Not particularly attractive to look at BUT if i could add smell-a-vision here....it would be totally worth it!

BBQ Pork Ribs

1 shallot, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

1 cup of your favourite store bought BBQ sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

I'm not sure how much the weight of my pork ribs was, but there were two strips of back ribs. I cut them in half so the four pieces fit in my small slow cooker. 

Mix all the ingredients together, and cover the ribs in the mixture.

Set you slow cooker to low and wait 6 hours for delicious tender BBQ ribs!

Every hour i basted the ribs and turned them over, do this fast though so you don't lose the precious heat!

Once the ribs are ready, transfer them to a dish and cover with foil, place in a warm oven.

Pour the remaining liquid/sauce into a pan and reduce down to a nice thick consistency so that when you serve your ribs you can pour it over the top, your very own homemade bbq sauce! I can smell it now.....

egg rolls

My mojo has been missing for a while, some things in my life went a little crazy and i burnt out. I am sorry i have been away and have missed being inspired and creating in the kitchen, it is rather therapeutic! And here i am BACK in the kitchen! I feel SO much better!

Chinese food in Canada is a lot different compared to what i would get back home in Australia. My all time favourite was always the lemon chicken or honey sesame chicken (boring i know) but ohh yummo! Here they have these delicious chicken ball things that come with this sweet red sauce....then they have egg rolls....sort of like huge spring rolls but in an egg based wrap. These egg rolls are my hubby's favourites, so i thought...why not give it a try!

I looked for a recipe via Tastespotting and found A Sweet Pea Chef where Lacey made it really easy for me to follow and make egg rolls for the very first time at home! Her blog and photos are fantastic go check it out! 

These were SO much fun to make and SO much easier than i thought they would be. I can seriously recommend making them for a treat if you are so inspired. Home made truly is best sometimes! 

I altered the recipe i found slightly because after all my shopping around i forgot the cabbage!! They still turned out pretty darn delicious although my husband said to me "these are great but it tastes a little like there is something missing..." i guess he picked it!

Pork and Vegetable Egg Roll Filling
Original Recipe from A Sweet Pea Chef
Below are the ingredients i used to make my egg rolls =)

2 tbsp sesame oil
1 lb ground pork
3 green onions, sliced
1 small onion, finely diced
6 mushrooms, diced
1 cup water chestnuts, finely diced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
2 carrots, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce, plus more to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
package egg roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten (for moistening/sealing wrappers)

Directions

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add pork and cook on medium-high heat until well-browned. Put the pork and juice into a bowl and put aside for later.

Add green onion and onion to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add water chestnuts, mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots, garlic, soy sauce and sugar and stir to incorporate.

Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cooked pork and stir again to incorporate well. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

On a clean, flat surface, place 1 egg roll wrapper with 1 corner facing you. Place approximately 1-2 tablespoons of the filling (see picture above) on the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling.

Firmly roll the filled wrapper half-way up the rest of the wrapper. Brush the corner edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the two sides over the filled roll and roll the rest of the way up, pressing the top corner firmly onto the egg roll to seal it.

Repeat for the rest of the wrappers. Once ready to cook, heat about 3/4-inch to 1-inch of vegetable or canola oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.

Once oil is hot (you will know it’s ready when a very tiny amount of water dropped into the oil dances and sizzles), carefully place enough egg rolls to cover the bottom of the pan.

Try not to crowd them. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Once golden brown on both sides, remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

We ate ours with plum sauce, they are delicious! Thank you A Sweet Pea Chef for sharing your recipe and inspiring our dinner tonight!