Ingredients
3 to 4 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Directions
Pat the country-style pork ribs dry with paper towels and trim any large, thick pieces of fat if desired. This helps the glaze cling to the meat and keeps the sauce from getting too greasy.
Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. This creates a sweet base that will melt into a dark, sticky glaze as it cooks.
Arrange the pork ribs in a single snug layer over the brown sugar. It’s fine if they overlap a little, but try to keep them mostly in one layer so they cook evenly and get nicely coated.
Scatter the sliced butter over the tops of the ribs, tucking a few pieces down in between the ribs so it melts all around the meat.
Pour the apple cider vinegar evenly over the ribs. Don’t worry if it seems like a small amount—during cooking it will mingle with the melted butter and brown sugar to form a thick, glossy sauce.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the ribs are very tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone. Avoid lifting the lid too often so the heat and moisture stay trapped inside.
Once the ribs are tender, carefully spoon some of the dark brown sugar–butter sauce from the bottom of the slow cooker over the tops of the ribs. If you’d like the edges extra caramelized and sticky, you can transfer the ribs to a baking sheet and broil them on high for 3 to 5 minutes, brushing with some of the sauce before and after broiling.
Serve the ribs hot, spooning more of the rich amber sauce from the slow cooker over each portion. The meat should be fall-off-the-bone tender, with glistening caramelized edges and plenty of sauce pooling on the plate.
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My neighbor begged for the recipe after smelling it cooking. These ribs fall off the bone and use only 4 ingredients.
