My neighbor from Texas shared this brilliant trick for Sunday dinner. Just 3 ingredients wrapped tightly in foil creates the most mouthwatering meat t

My neighbor Earl wandered over one Sunday with a foil packet in his hands and that little twinkle in his eye. He’s a Texas boy through and through, and he swore up and down that I didn’t need a fancy smoker or a mile-long ingredient list to get ribs that fall clean off the bone. His secret was almost too simple to believe: just pork ribs, your favorite bottled barbecue sauce, and a little cola, all wrapped up tight in foil and tucked into the slow cooker.

The steam and sauce work together like an old church choir, low and slow, until the meat is so tender you have to be gentle lifting it out. This is the kind of Sunday dinner that feels special but doesn’t keep you tied to the stove, and it fits right in with the practical, big-hearted cooking I grew up with here in the Midwest.

These ribs are rich and saucy, so I like to balance them with simple, homey sides. A bowl of creamy coleslaw and a pan of baked beans taste just like a church potluck plate. Buttered corn—fresh off the cob in summer or frozen in winter—goes beautifully with the smoky-sweet sauce. Add warm dinner rolls or slices of soft white bread to mop up the extra juices from the foil.