Simple "Three Amigos" Tangy Ribs Crockpot Recipe

So I originally stumbled upon this recipe from A Year of Crockpotting around election season, since it is credited to John McCain. But "John McCain's ribs" is not descriptive of how delicious this recipe is, or how simple!

After eating these delicious, fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs, my family tasked ourselves with making up a new name for the recipe. Since we had just finished watching the Three Amigos, my father-in-law suggested that as a name. The more I think about it, the more I think it works!

Simple "Three Amigos" Tangy Ribs
* 4 pounds baby back pork ribs
* 2 Tbsp kosher salt
* 2 Tbsp ground black pepper
* 2 Tbsp garlic powder
* 3 lemons, juiced

Cut the ribs to fit into whatever size crockpot you have. I think the oval 6 quart works the best for this.

Combine the salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl to make the "Three Amigos" rub mix. Rub in it well all over the ribs and then put the seasoned ribs into the crockpot.

Juice three lemons all over the meat. You'll want to use a citrus press, unless you want to discover every paper cut you have on your hands. Or you could wear gloves.

After juicing, cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high from 4-5, depending on how tender you want your ribs to be. My parents prefer chew-the-bones tender, and I like no-chewing-fall-off-the-bones-with-no-effort tender. The more tenderness desired, the longer the cooking time.

I experimented with how well this can be prepared ahead of time, and I am glad to say that it would be possible to season the meat with the "Three Amigos" rub, store in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze until needed. When needed, once the meat is defrosted you can put it in the crockpot and do the lemon squeezing and cooking.

So next time ribs are on sale, you can cut them up and season them and have an easy delicious meal with a minimum of effort.