| If you love pork ribs but are fretting that you can't | | | | artificial chemical sweetener but a natural 5 carbon |
| have them because the weather is bad or it is the | | | | sugar, which differs from regular sugar which is 6 |
| wrong time of year for barbecue style fare, worry | | | | carbons and does get fully metabolized by humans. |
| no more because there is a tasty solution to your | | | | Alternatively you can use Stevia, which is also a |
| dilemma. You can make these in nothing more than a | | | | natural sweetener which comes from a South |
| standard convection oven. The first step is the | | | | American plant. I mix Xylitol and Stevia. Both stay |
| longest one because you need time. If you cannot | | | | sweet with cooking heat and taste great. Add some |
| get a large foil oven bag, use a large oven pan that | | | | apple cider vinegar, about a tablespoon or two, for |
| can hold your ribs and some water. If there is a | | | | some tang. Add a dash of liquid smoke for that |
| grate fitted into the pan all the better. Put about 2 | | | | smoky taste that characterizes barbecued foods. |
| cups of water into the bottom of the pan. Here you | | | | Finally, add some hot water to dissolve everything. |
| can lightly season the ribs or apply a dry spice rub to | | | | Try not to make the sauce too thin by adding too |
| them so as to let pleasant flavors penetrate the | | | | much water. |
| meat. Add liquid smoke for a more genuine barbecue | | | | When the ribs come out of the oven, are done |
| flavor. This step is optional but recommended. Place | | | | steaming, and are cooked through and seem tender, |
| your ribs into the water or above it on a grate. | | | | use large tongs to put them onto a plate. Discard the |
| Cover the ribs well. Make sure the aluminum foil | | | | water and place them back into the pan. Brush the |
| makes a nice seal over the edge of the pan so that | | | | sugar free sauce onto the side facing up and place |
| the water vapor tends to stay in and steams the | | | | them under the broiler until you see them getting a |
| ribs nicely. The object here is to, over the course of | | | | slightly singed grilled look. Take them out and flip |
| 2 to 3 hours, steam the ribs and cook them | | | | them, apply more sauce to them, and repeat the |
| thoroughly. For 2 hours you will have to put your | | | | process. If there is leftover sauce you can take |
| oven to about 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but | | | | them out again and give them one more application, |
| the quicker cooking might toughen them a bit. If you | | | | but don't leave them in too long because you don't |
| have the time, go for 3 to 3 1/2 hours at a lower | | | | want them to dry out or become tough. Use your |
| temperature like 350 degrees. | | | | common sense for how long you let them broil |
| While the ribs are cooking in the oven, make a low | | | | because in my experience you can't always reduce |
| carb sauce. This is the critical thing, since the store | | | | these things to a certain amount of time because |
| bought sauces are usually loaded with high fructose | | | | ovens vary and so do individual tastes. Some people |
| corn syrup. What I do is either use some | | | | like their ribs grilled really crisp while others prefer |
| supermarket barbecue spice mix that does not | | | | them softer and moist. Use common sense because |
| contain sugars, or mix them up yourself. A good mix | | | | this is not rocket science, it's grilling! |
| would be celery seed, coriander, black pepper, red | | | | With practice you can come up with all sorts of |
| pepper, paprika, salt, onion powder, and garlic | | | | wonderful flavors for alternative sugar free sauces |
| powder. To this add a dash of cinnamon and a half | | | | for barbecuing, grilling, and many other types of |
| teaspoon of ground mustard seed. You can put a | | | | cooking. You do not have to be a prisoner to what |
| dash of vanilla extract, and for sweetness add about | | | | the large sugar pushing food conglomerates want |
| 8 tablespoons of Xylitol, a natural 5 carbon sugar that | | | | you to buy. With a little work anything is possible. |
| is not metabolized as sugar. A quick note, dogs | | | | Isn't your health worth it? Enjoy this creative way of |
| should never consume Xylitol, as it can be deadly to | | | | preparing and eating your food in a healthier sugar |
| them, but not to humans. It is totally safe for | | | | free way. |
| humans and it comes from birch trees. This is not an | | | | |