300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (34 page)

(or 3 pounds [1.4 kg] of hocks or 3 pounds [1.4 kg] of shanks, whatever you can get)

1 medium head red cabbage

1/2 Granny smith apple

1/2 medium onion

1 1/2 cups (355 ml) chicken broth

1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar

4 teaspoons (2 g) Splenda or the equivalent in other sugar-free sweetener

1 tablespoon (15 g) bacon grease, melted

Throw your hocks, shanks, or both into your slow cooker. Coarsely chop your cabbage and dice your apple and onion. Throw them in, too.

Mix together everything else and then pour it over the meat and vegetables. Cover your slow cooker, set it on low, and let the whole thing cook for a good 6 to 7 hours; then serve.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 624 calories, 44 g fat, 44 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 9 g usable carbs.

Havana Ribs

The inspiration for these ribs was a recipe for a Cuban pork roast, marinated in citrus juice and rum. I took a lot of liberties, but the results are good, so why not?

3 pounds (1.4 kg) pork spareribs

Salt and pepper

1/2 orange

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lime juice

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice

2 tablespoons (28 ml) dark rum

5 cloves (15 g) garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 teaspoons (1 g), or 2 packets, Splenda, or other low-carb sweetener (not aspartame) to equal 4 teaspoons sugar in sweetness

2 tablespoons (28 ml) chicken broth

2 tablespoons (38 g) low-sugar orange marmalade

Cut your ribs into sections that fit in your slow cooker, if you need to. Salt and pepper ‘em all over. Plunk them in the cooker.

Grate the zest from your orange half, and squeeze the juice into a bowl. Add everything else, and stir it up well. Pour it over the ribs, and turn them all about, making sure they get coated with the citrus-rum mixture. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours.

When time's up, use a tongs to pull your ribs out and throw them on a platter. Keep them warm while you . . .

Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a small, non-reactive saucepan, and boil it down untill it's syrupy. If you like, you can also slide your ribs under the broiler to brown them a little while you're boiling down the sauce, but it's not essential.

Coat the ribs with the sauce, and serve.

Yield:
4 Servings, each with 654 calories, 50 g fat, 37 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 7 grams usable carb

Polynesian Pork Ribs

It's a luau in your slow cooker!

2 pounds (900 g) country-style pork ribs

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1/4 cup (60 g) canned crushed pineapple in juice

1/2 cup (120 g)
Dana's No-Sugar Ketchup
(see recipe
page 332
) or purchased low-carb ketchup

1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda

1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar

Put the ribs in your slow cooker, along with the garlic and onion.

In a bowl, stir together the pineapple and 1/4 cup (60 g) of the ketchup. Pour the mixture over the ribs. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 10 hours.

When the time's up, pull the ribs out of the slow cooker, put them on a broiler rack, and stash them somewhere warm.

Ladle the cooking liquid into a saucepan. Stir in the remaining 1/4 (60 g) cup ketchup, the Splenda, molasses, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and vinegar, bring to a simmer, and let cook until you have a passably thick sauce.

Spoon the sauce over the ribs and run them under the broiler for 5 minutes or so, just to glaze them a bit.

Yield:
6 servings, each with: 288 calories, 20 g fat, 19 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.

Soy and Sesame Ribs

Here's another Asian take on ribs. The toasted sesame seed topping really sets this recipe apart.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) pork spareribs

1/3 cup (8 g) Splenda

1/4 cup (60 g)
Dana's No-Sugar Ketchup
(see recipe
page 332
) or prepared lowcarb ketchup

1 tablespoon (21 g) sugar-free imitation honey

1 tablespoon (28 ml) cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon (8 g) sesame seeds

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Cut the ribs into portions if needed to fit them in your slow cooker. Broil the ribs about 6-inches (15 cm) from high heat until browned, about 10 minutes per side. Transfer them to your slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the Splenda, ketchup, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Pour the mixture over the ribs, turning to coat if needed. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.

Toast the sesame seeds by stirring them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until they start to make popping sounds and jump around a bit. Serve the ribs with sesame seeds and scallions scattered over them.

Yield:
4 servings, each with: 646 calories, 52 g fat, 37 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs. (Analysis does not include the polyols in the imitation honey.)

Teriyaki-Tangerine Ribs

This is an easy twist on plain old teriyaki.

4 pounds (900 g) country-style pork ribs

Low-Carb Teriyaki Sauce
(see recipe
page 337
)

Florida Sunshine Tangerine Barbecue Sauce
(see recipe
page 334
)

Put the ribs in your slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the
Low-Carb Teriyaki Sauce
and the
Florida Sunshine Tangerine Barbecue Sauce
. Pour the mixture over the ribs. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 7 to 8 hours.

When the time's up, remove the ribs. Transfer the sauce to a nonreactive saucepan and put it over high heat. Boil it hard until it thickens up a bit and serve the sauce over the ribs.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 415 calories, 29 g fat, 28 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 7 g usable carbs.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Ribs

This dish is sweet, spicy, and tangy and falling-off-the-bone tender.

6 pounds (2.7 kg) pork spareribs, cut into 3 or 4 pieces so they fit in the slow cooker

3/4 cup (180 g)
Dana's No-Sugar Ketchup
(see recipe
page 332
) or purchased low-carb ketchup

1 batch
Low-Carb Teriyaki Sauce
(see recipe
page 337
)

1/4 cup (6 g) Splenda

1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Guar or xanthan

Place the ribs in your slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix the ketchup,
Low-Carb Teriyaki Sauce
, Splenda, molasses, and garlic together. Pour the mixture over the ribs. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 10 hours.

When the time's up, use tongs to pull out the now unbelievably tender and flavorful ribs. Ladle out as much of the pot liquid as you think you'll use and thicken it using guar or xanthan. Serve the sauce over the ribs.

Yield:
8 servings, each with: 650 calories, 50 g fat, 38 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber (depending on how much of the liquid you eat), about 8 g usable carbs.

Fruity, Spicy Ribs