Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs with Vidalia Onion Gravy

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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Country-Style Ribs with Vidalia Onion Gravy

Prep Time10

Cook Time8 10

Total Time8 20

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: servings

Calories: 442kcal

Author: Sharon Rigsby

Equipment

Slow cooker

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
1 teaspoon Cajun or creole seasoning, or seasoning salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Vidalia onions sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel
Season them with the Cajun Seasoning and black pepper
Dredge in flour to coat
Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the ribs and brown on all sides. About 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add half of the sliced onions.
Top with the ribs, add the other half of the onions and the garlic.
In a medium bowl, combine the soup with the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar, and pour it over the ribs and onions.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. The ribs should be fall-apart tender at this point.
Remove the ribs and set them aside.
To make the gravy, mix a quarter cup of water with the cornstarch to make a slurry, then add it to the cooking liquid to thicken. Let it cook on high for about 10-15 minutes, or until it thickens.
Serve the ribs with a large spoonful of onion gravy over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles. Enjoy!

Notes

This is a very rich, stick-to-your-ribs type of dish and a perfect example of comfort food. I have shown 6 servings because I had 6 ribs, but it can easily feed 8, especially if there are any light eaters in the group.

While you can add the meat without browning it, I highly recommend coating it in flour and pan-searing it. It adds a wonderful layer of flavor and helps thicken the gravy.

The meat and gravy should be stored together in the fridge to keep the meat moist. Leftovers are just as delicious the next day, and the next…

I served the ribs and gravy over mashed potatoes, and my primary taste tester, my husband, and I both agreed it was out-of-this-world delicious and a keeper.

If you want to add veggies like potatoes and/or carrots, it's best to wait until around the 4-hour mark so they don’t get too mushy.

I used Vidalia onions because that’s what I had, but any sweet onion will work.

For the chicken stock, I prefer to use Better Than Bouillon - Roasted Chicken Base and mix it with water, or, even better, homemade chicken stock, rather than regular stock. Both are much more flavorful and enhance the dish's flavor. But if all you have is purchased chicken stock, by all means use that.

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