There are times when you just have to have that rack of barbecue ribs. Maybe they have been sitting in your freezer since fall and you just can't wait any longer, you just have to have those ribs. But with the cold of winter set in getting out to the grill is more of an exercise in survival, making it hard to truly enjoy the barbecue experience. Throw in some snow and wind and the idea of cooking ribs on the grill goes out the door.

Now if your are truly hardcore you can put on your snow boots, bundle up in hat, coat and gloves, shovel a path out to the grill, get it lit and hope the wind doesn't blow it out. The next part may be even trickier; actually grilling the ribs. While barbecue ribs aren't all that hard to make they do need constant attention. Standing outside in the cold and wind can make this difficult not to mention that it's either getting dark out or the sun has already gone down. Grilling in the dark, even with a flashlight, is not easy because it's hard to tell if and when the ribs are done.

Now this doesn't mean it can't be done because many a hard core griller has endured the elements to fix their favorite barbecue dish. But if this isn't you're idea of barbecue fun then there is an alternative. If you have a large crock pot or pot you can put on the stove you can be enjoying tender barbecue ribs in a few hours.

Here's how you do it.

Get your crock pot or large pot set up. Pour in some barbecue sauce then set your ribs in the sauce. You may have to cut your ribs into sections if you are doing a rack of baby back ribs. Pour the rest of the sauce over the ribs making sure to cover them well. You want to cook them slowly so don't turn the stove up to high. With a crock pot set them to high to get the temperature up and then turn them down to low and let them simmer.

By cooking your ribs slow you are looking at letting them cook for two to three hours, or even longer. The flavors of the sauce will work deep into the meat leaving it moist and tender. It will also fill your house with the smell of barbecue, which is good if you like that kind of thing.

While this isn't exactly the same as cooking barbecue ribs on a grill it is a great way to enjoy the taste of barbecue even on the coldest of winter nights.