SLOW-COOKER BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Well here they are as promised, these beautifully delicious short ribs. Yesterday, I started cooking these ribs early in the day and as they slowly cooked they filled the house with a tantalizing aroma, promising an extraordinary meal when they were finally ready but agonizingly tempting before then. It was extremely hard not to sneak an occasional bite AND keep everyone else away as well!

The short ribs, which are a tough cut of meat, needed to simmer gently in liquid for hours to get to the desired point where they nearly fell right off the bone. They were so tender we could have literally cut them with a spoon. Astoundingly flexible in their cooking time, requiring very little effort and  fairly inexpensive this recipe for Asian Braised Short Ribs was a breeze to prepare. You really can't mess them up. This is one dish that will be added to the Porter Dinner Roster! 

Slow-Cooker Braised Short Ribs

These slow-cooked beef short ribs are seasoned with Chinese five spice, an aromatic blend of Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, fennel and cloves. For optimum flavor, grind the whole spices just before using.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbs. whole Chinese five spice
• 4 lb. bone-in beef short ribs
• 2 to 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1⁄4-inch slices
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1⁄3 cup beef broth
• 1⁄3 cup soy sauce
• 1⁄3 cup rice vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup sesame oil
• 1 Tbs. chili garlic paste
• 2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
• Zest of 1 orange, peeled with vegetable peeler
    into 1⁄2-inch strips, plus juice of 1 orange
• 1⁄4 cup sugar dissolved in 3⁄4 cup boiling water
• Steamed rice for serving

WHAT TO DO

• Season the short ribs with the five spice and shake off the excess.
• In a heavy pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the ribs on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total, adding more oil to the pan if needed. Transfer to a slow cooker.
• Add more oil to the pan if needed. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. 
• Add the beef broth, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the wine is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Transfer to the slow cooker. 
• Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili paste, ginger, orange zest, orange juice and sugar mixture. 
• Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
• Spoon the fat off the sauce. Transfer the ribs and sauce to a serving bowl and serve with steamed rice.

Our short ribs were fabulous. The savory, rich meat of the short ribs coupled with the zesty, tropical sweet and spicy flavors of the sauce were over the top. YUM.

There you have it...short and sweet.

Until you try them for yourself  you  just will not 
believe how incredibly delicious and easy these ribs are to cook and eat.

Prepare them for your family you'll be glad ya did!


ENJOY!

~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~
RONDA