Spareribs Chicago Style!

I guess Chicago is famous for ribs, among many other foods. So we decided to include some ribs in this Chicago-themed party. I went to Ranch 99 to get two slabs of spareribs, with two cuts lengthwise across each slab. I then cut between each of the bones when I got home, threw them in the slow cooker with BBQ sauce and brown sugar, and left them overnight on the 10 hour setting. Relatively easy except for the handling of raw meat and the cleanup.

The name is actually a misnomer since there's really nothing in the making of these that makes them Chicago style, as opposed to the other regional variants. I am not sure how true this is, but according to one site I found, here are some primary differences... North Carolina BBQ focuses primarily on slow-cooked pulled pork. Memphis BBQ uses pork primarily and focuses on slow smoking and liberal use of dry rubs. Kansas City BBQ uses many different types of meat, but is characterized by liberal use of sweet, tangy sauces. Texas BBQ, like Memphis, makes heavy use of dry rubs, but relies on beef brisket primarily. St. Louis BBQ uses beef and pork and is characterized by sweet, thick, ketchup-based sauces. Chicago BBQ focuses mainly on ribs covered in sweet, tangy sauce and sometimes dry rubs.