I was experimenting and making a dish for an engineering potluck. I was trying to see if I could cook ribs in a slow cooker. It turned out to be chili by accident.

Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers

3 lb pork spare ribs

1.5 cup cubed butternut squash

1 can of tomato sauce (29 oz)

1 jar of D'S Original All Natural BBQ Sauce (19.5 oz)

powdered cumin

powdered coriander

Italian seasoning

powdered New Mexico Chili, moderately hot

garlic powder

The Old West Bar B Que Rub for Beef & Chicken

Strictly Pepper (a mixture of black, white, and red pepper and spices)

flour

macademia nut oil (or olive oil)

Split each of the spare ribs into two pieces.

Put some of the oil into a frying pan and turn the heat on high.

On a plate put 3/4 of a cup of flour or so and mix in some of the Old West B Que Rub, garlic powder, and Strictly Pepper. Coat the ribs with the flour mix, reduce the heat in the frying pan to medium hight,  then brown all sides of each rib in the frying pan until brown. Depending on the size of the frying pan this will require two or three batches.

While the ribs are browning slice the bell peppers lengthwise, about a quarter of an inch wide. Lay half of the sliced bell pepper on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add powdered cumin, coriander, Italian seasoning, and the New Mexico chili to the tomato sauce.

Put half of the tomato sauce mix on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add a layer of half the browned ribs.

Layer the rest of the sliced bell pepper on top.

Add the rest of the tomato sauce mixture on top of this.

Add another layer of the rest of the browned ribs.

Add the cubed butternut squash.

Add the jar of D'S BBQ Sauce.

Smoosh down the ribs. The ribs should just barely be covered by the liquid. Some corners of ribs should show above the liquid.

Set the slow cooker to cook for ten hours. (That's the lowest, slowest setting on my slow cooker. At this setting it just barely bubbles around the edges once it heats up.)

Stir up the ingredients. Try to move the ribs on top to the bottom and vice versa.

Take it to work. (Or don't take it to work if that's not where you're going to eat it. Eat it at home. Take it someplace else.)

Set the slow cooker on the same low setting and cook another four hours.

Serve right out of the slow cooker.