300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (33 page)

My pal Ray Stevens, who has tested many recipes for me, raves about this. It's shaping up to be the recipe by which all other recipes are judged!

3 pounds (1.4 kg) country-style pork ribs

1/2 cup (160 g) sugar-free pancake syrup

3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda

2 tablespoons (28 ml) soy sauce

1/4 cup (40 g) chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Put the ribs in your slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the syrup, Splenda, soy sauce, onion, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, garlic, pepper, and cayenne. Pour the mixture over the ribs. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 9 hours.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 382 calories, 29 g fat, 27 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 2 g usable carbs. (Analysis does not include the polyols in the sugar-free pancake syrup.)

Maple Chili Ribs

This barbecue sauce is so good, you'll make it for cooking ribs on the grill, too. Feel free to double the sauce and do a full slab.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) pork spareribs (about half a slab)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons (30 g)
Dana's No-Sugar Ketchup
(see recipe
page 332
.)

2 chipotle chiles canned in adobo, plus 2 teaspoons of the sauce

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup (80 g) sugar-free pancake syrup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons (28 ml) soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Cut the ribs into lengths that will fit, stacked, in your slow cooker. Salt and pepper them and put them on your broiler rack. Give them about 12 minutes per side 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) from the broiler, set on high. In the meantime, do to the next step.

Mix together everything else in a small dish. You know to chop up the chipotle, right? And then wash your hands really well?

When the ribs are browned, place the first chunk in the bottom of the slow cooker and spread some of the sauce all over it, edge to edge. Repeat with the rest of the ribs. Reserve half of the sauce.

Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it go 6 hours or so. Serve with the reserved sauce.

Yield:
4 servings, each with: 629 calories, 50 g fat, 37 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3g usable carbs. (Analysis does not include the polyols in the sugar-free pancake syrup.)

Orange-Glazed Country Ribs

Fruit flavors of all kinds bring out the best in pork.

2 pounds (900 g) boneless pork country-style ribs

1/2 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 tablespoon (7 g) butter

1/2 cup (75 g) finely chopped green bell pepper

1/2 clove garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons (60 g) low-sugar orange marmalade

1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice

1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1 tablespoon (8 g) grated ginger root

Guar or xanthan

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add the ribs, onion, and garlic. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 7 to 8 hours.

When the time's up, melt the butter in a medium-size nonreactive saucepan. Add the pepper and garlic and sauté until it's just soft. Add the marmalade, lemon juice, Splenda, orange extract, and ginger, bring to a simmer, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Thicken the sauce a little with guar or xanthan.

Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and put them on a broiler rack. Brush them with the sauce and run them under the broiler, set on high, for 5 minutes to glaze. Serve with the rest of the sauce.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 304 calories, 20 g fat, 27 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

Cranberry-Orange Ribs

You'll need cranberries for this, obviously, and they're only available for a few months in the fall. They freeze well, though, so grab several extra bags and throw them in the freezer. Or just make this in the fall.

2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) pork boneless country-style ribs

2 tablespoons (28 g) coconut oil

1/4 cup (80 g) low-sugar orange marmalade

1/4 cup (60 ml) rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1/2 cup (12 g) Splenda or other sugar-free sweetener to equal 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

1 tablespoon (11 g) brown mustard

2 cups (200 g) cranberries

1/2 onion, chopped

In your big, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, start browning the pork in the coconut oil.

In the meantime, mix together the orange marmalade, vinegar, orange extract, Splenda or other sweetener, and mustard.

Dump the cranberries in the slow cooker, add the onion, and pour the orange mixture over them. Give it all a stir.

When the ribs are browned all over, transfer them to the pot with tongs and lay them on top of the cranberries and onion. Cover the pot, set to low, and let it cook for 6 hours.

Serve the ribs with the sauce and cranberries spooned over them.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 395 calories, 29 g fat, 22 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 9 g usable carbs.

Ribs ‘n' Kraut

If you like, you can make this with smoked sausage instead of the country-style ribs. If you do, read the labels to find the lowest carb smoked sausage.

2 pounds (900 g) country-style pork ribs

1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced

1/2 medium onion, sliced

16 ounces (455 g) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda

1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine

Put the ribs, apple, and onion in your slow cooker. Cover with the sauerkraut.

In a bowl, stir together the Splenda, molasses, caraway seeds, and wine. Pour the mixture over the sauerkraut and ribs. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 286 calories, 19 g fat, 18 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

Ribs with Apple Kraut

Even folks who aren't wild about sauerkraut may like this. With the apple and the other vegetables, there's a lot more than just sauerkraut going on here.

3 1/2 pounds (1.6 kg) country-style pork ribs

2 tablespoons (28 ml) oil

3/4 cup (75 g) diced cauliflower

3/4 cup (113 g) diced turnip

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 pound (455 g) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Guar or xanthan

In a big, heavy skillet, brown the ribs in the oil over medium-high heat.

Put the cauliflower, turnip, apple, carrots, and onion in your slow cooker. Put the ribs and sauerkraut on top.

In a bowl, mix together the vinegar, Splenda, caraway seeds, and cloves. Pour the mixture over the ribs and sauerkraut. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 9 hours.

When the time's up, remove the ribs to a platter with tongs and scoop out the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Thicken the pot liquid with guar or xanthan, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve the sauce with the ribs and vegetables.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 529 calories, 39 g fat, 32 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 9 g usable carbs.

Hocks and Shanks with Cabbage and Apples

Ham hocks and ham shank slices (sometimes called smoked hocks) give you great ham flavor without having to wrestle with that whole ham. They're cheaper, too. And again, this kind of tough, bony meat really shines when you slow-cook it.

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) ham hocks

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) ham, shank half