Ingredients
3 to 4 pounds bone-in pork ribs (country-style or spare ribs)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite bottled kind)
1/4 cup soy sauce
Directions
Pat the pork ribs dry with paper towels and trim any very thick, hard pieces of fat if needed. Leave some fat on for flavor and tenderness.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and soy sauce until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and glossy.
Place the ribs in the slow cooker in an even layer. It’s fine if they overlap a bit, but try to keep them mostly in one or two layers so they cook evenly.
Pour the brown sugar barbecue mixture evenly over the ribs, turning the ribs with tongs once or twice to coat them well in the sauce.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender and the meat is starting to fall off the bone.
Once the ribs are tender, carefully transfer them with tongs to a plate or shallow dish. They will be very soft, so move them gently so they don’t completely fall apart.
Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a small saucepan. Skim off any excess fat from the top with a spoon. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and thickens into a glossy, sticky glaze that coats the back of a spoon.
Return the ribs to the empty slow cooker or place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the thickened glaze over the ribs, turning them gently to coat all sides.
For caramelized edges like in the photo, place the glazed ribs under a preheated broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, just until the glaze bubbles and the edges darken slightly. Alternatively, let the ribs sit in the warm slow cooker for 10 to 15 minutes to soak up the glaze.
Transfer the ribs to a serving plate, spoon any remaining glaze over the top, and serve hot while the meat is tender and falling off the bone.