Got a hankering for BBQ in wintery weather? Step away from the grill…and pull out the slow cooker. While many a Crock Pot devotee has discovered the joys of slow-cooked pulled pork, the surprise is that the appliance can also work wonders with other barbecue favorites, like ribs, brisket, and chicken wings. So anytime the weather doesn’t cooperate for grilling, you know what to reach for.
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RecipeSlow Cooker Pulled-Pork Sandwiches
Everybody loves a sandwich for dinner, especially if it's one with saucy pulled pork spilling out the sides. You'll need two hands for this easy version of the classic, along with lots of napkins.
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RecipeSlow-Cooker Southern-Style Short Ribs with Pimiento Grits
Tender, meaty beef short ribs are classic cold-weather comfort fare, but these—made in a slow cooker while you tend to the rest of your life—harken back to summer, thanks to their barbecue flavor. Fans of pimento cheese (as well as those who have never heard of this Southern staple) will adore the accompanying grits.
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Recipe拉年代low-Cooker Chicken with Cherry-Chile Barbecue Sauce
This fresh seasonal sauce—so good you’ll be glad to have leftovers—features less sugar than traditional barbecue sauces. Serve the moist, flavorful chicken on warmed burger buns. Wear rubber gloves when mincing the jalapeño so you don’t burn your hands. When prepping the fresh cherries, wear a dark shirt, use a good cherry pitter, and work over two bowls: one for the pits and stems and the other for the usable flesh. Feel into the center of each cherry after pitting and de-stemming to make sure that no pit remains.
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RecipeSmoky Slow Cooker Brisket
You don’t have to man the smoker all day to get barbecue on the table for dinner (even on a weeknight). Instead, slow-cook a brisket until it’s so tender that a meat fork can be pulled out without any resistance, then break out the coleslaw.
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RecipeSlow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Molasses Baked Beans
To complement the naturally sweet flavors in a pork tenderloin, these baked beans are loaded with plenty of aromatics, as well as the woodsy, earthy tones of bourbon. Just remember: the better the bourbon, the more sophisticated its flavor in the beans. Don’t use the $75 bottle, but skip the cheap hooch with its metallic tang.
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RecipeSlow Cooked Mango BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Diced fresh mango, mango chutney, and mango nectar work together to give this meaty, saucy dish an amped-up fruit flavor. If you like, feel free to tailor the heat level to your taste. To simplify the recipe, use a purchased mango barbecue sauce and skip reducing the sauce after the ribs have cooked. To lacquer the ribs, broil them after you remove them from the slow cooker.
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RecipeAsian Barbecue Chicken Wings
Even if it’s not a game day, you’ve still got game in the kitchen when you make this finger-licking, umami-laden take on chicken wings. The recipe calls for slow cooking the wings until the meat is almost falling-off-the-bone tender, then broiling to make them brown, crisp, and irresistible. It’s one extra step that’s well worth it.
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RecipeHoney-Balsamic Pulled Pork with Avocado Relish
Throw a few things in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to fork-tender pork simmering in a rich, sweet sauce. Serve the relish alongside or use it as a topping for pulled pork sandwiches.
