If you've made John McCain's Rib recipe in the crockpot using beef instead of pork, like I do, then here's a way to keep all that yummy liquid from going to waste. Refrigerate the copious liquid left in the crockpot to solidify the fat, and remove it. The liquid will keep for several days; you can even freeze it if you like. I've underlined the ingredients you should have on hand to make the recipe below. You can substitute dry red wine for the sherry, or leave it out altogether if you don't have any on hand. There are lots of french onion soup recipes around, this one is my off-the-cuff attempt. It was delicious; probably because of the seasoning that was on the ribs that produced the stock.
French Onion Soup
Caramelize 3-4 large onions (instructions on internet) using butter or olive oil in large saucepan or dutch oven. Add leftover beef stock, defatted, from making John McCain Ribs - have an extra carton or 3 cans of beef stock/bouillon on hand if needed for more quantity. Add some fresh, dried or ground thyme (start with 1/2 teaspoon) and the same amount black pepper. Bring to boil. Add a splash of sherry. Cook for a few minutes then taste test for beefy-ness, salt/seasonings, sherry. Every pot will vary, because you'll never have the same amount of leftover stock from making the ribs, so just go by what tastes good. Adjust by adding water, bouillon cubes, seasonings or sherry to taste.
Place toasted french bread slices or similar in ovenproof bowls, ladle in soup, top with gruyere or swiss cheese and heat bowls in oven until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
