Roasted Strawberry Oil Balsamic BBQ Ribs

U-pick strawberry season in Wisconsin coupled with the July 4th holiday. I took my family to a local farm. Before I knew it I went home with more than 20 pounds of super ripen super juicy super sweet so much better than the store bought strawberries. Making jam used only a portion of it. Now how to solve a problem of too much strawberries? It's a subtraction or addition (if looking from the other side of the equation) math problem, right?

Now my problem coupled with Instructables' Oil and Vinegar Contest with a bottle of 100 years old balsamic vinegar. I can't sit still! I know how good that bottle of 100 years old balsamic vinegar is without ever tasting it. Once I bought a bottle of 20 years old balsamic vinegar. I started to tell people who drink wine to stop drink wine and start drinking 20 years old balsamic vinegar.

My family love meat with bones especially ribs. I started to solve the math addition problem: 4 rib lovers + 1 oil and vinegar contest + lots of strawberries = BBQ ribs only if strawberries are tomatoes, right? Wait, strawberries are not only tomatoes, they are better tomatoes, problem solved.

The good news is when push comes to shove, I do juice better and more creativity. As a result I made the best ribs so far. And you don't need to own a grill to get smoky grilled flavors. I can't seem to stop. Tomorrow I'm going to the farm again to get the last strawberries. I'm going to can a lot sauce for use when fresh strawberries are out of season and maybe some for last minute gifts with a printed copy of this recipe (very helpful as I always do things the last minute). The bad news is everyone in my family doubled our meat portion sizes on these ribs. This recipe is a two-stage process and there were times my family couldn't resist the aroma from cooking and insisted eating my unfinished work after the first stage and I gave in. Want to test your family's strength/weakness with this finger licking good roasted strawberry oil balsamic vinegar BBQ ribs? Below are what to use and how:

FOR THE BBQ SAUCE·

4 cups strawberries, washed, drained, hulled (if store bought with white center), and cut

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon Thai Kitchen red curry paste (optional)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/8 teaspoons ancho chili powder

1/8 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon lightly toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Yields: about 1 1/2 cups

FOR THE EFFORTLESS FALL-OFF THE BONE TENDER RIBS

About 2 lbs pork ribs, fat trimmed (Don't remove the membrane).

1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce

Slow cooker, low setting, 5 hours

Step 1: Prepare Strawberries

Remove leaves and stems.
Remove the white center which is flavorless (if you use store bought strawberries, it's very likely they have the white center. Mine didn't because I picked ripen strawberries).
Rinse them in water and place them on paper towel lined baking sheet to absorb excess water.
Cut them to halves or quarters.
Place the strawberries in a single layer on a glass baking pan (Don't use baking sheet or foil that may react with the acid in fruits under high temperature).

Step 2: Roast Strawberries

Preheat oven to 425F.
Place the pan with prepared strawberries in the preheated oven until they start to caramelize, about 15 minutes.

Remove it from oven, let it cool to be able to handle.

Step 3: Boil and Simmer the Mixture to Let Ingredients Marry and Give Birth to Flavors

In a small heavy sauce pan, add in the cooled roasted strawberries (use a soft tip spatula to scrape every bit of the juice in).

Measure in everything in except the cilantro.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat, let it cool enough to be able to handle, throw in the cilantro and puree in a blender until smooth.

You're already half done to the addictively delicious BBQ ribs!

Step 4: Prepare the Ribs

Pat the ribs dry with paper towel.

Trim fat but don't remove the membrane which helps hold the ribs in one piece when the meat is falling off the bones at the end of slow cooker session, so you can grill or broil to get smoky grilled flavor.

Slather one cup of the roasted strawberry oil balsamic vinegar BBQ sauce on the ribs.

Place ribs vertically wrapped around the inside of the slow cooker.

Step 5: Cook the Ribs

Set slower cooker at low, cook for 5 hours. It's that simple!

If you follow somebody else's textbook, you might be instructed to remove the membrane on the bone side of the ribs. The results of that suggestion is the ribs may break into pieces, you won't be able to complete next step. It's the same result if you let it cook too long. But don't panic. Drizzle the juice over the ribs, and you'll have delicious happy accident juicy ribs.

As I said my family have weak ribs for ribs. It took me a few times to get to the next step. I gave in to their insisting eating the ribs at this stage.

Step 6: Broil the Ribs

Preheat your oven broiler to high setting.

Slather the remaining 1/2 cup sauce on the ribs.

Place it under broiler for about 8-10 minutes until the sauce bubbling and just started to char. Move the pan to avoid uneven char.

If you own a grill, you can try to grill. I don't. If you do, please share photos or comments.

Step 7: Now How to Eat My Best Ribs

Eat meat

Chew bones

Suck marrow

Lick plate

Lick fingers

Drag your children to shower.

Now I have made my best BBQ ribs over internet for you, please vote it for the Oil and Vinegar challenge if you like it. Of course you don't have to if you don't like this instructable. I'm at peace knowing that I have done some charity (Knowledge sharing is intellectual charity) and asked for help too.

Happy summer, everyone!