Sunday, September 21, 2008

Ab RIB cadabra

When I was a young girl my Grandmother took my siblings, my cousins and myself to see a David Copperfield show. I can remember sitting in the audience in complete awe of the magic acts he performed. The entire evening was so surreal. How did he do it? How did he make it all work? I was too young to doubt its authenticity. All I could do was believe. It was so amazing to me!

In my opinion, Crockpot cooking is like sorcery in my kitchen. I can't fathom how it works. When I cook things without a Crockpot I am involved in every step - chopping, stirring, smelling, adjusting heat and watching until it produces my desired result. When I make something in a Crockpot it is the exact opposite of all of my other cooking experiences. I have no control, no expectations and no involvement. However, magically at the end of it all is a delicious meal. The only thing you need to do is throw a bunch of stuff in the Crockpot and wah lah, it's time to eat!

I enjoy all the actions that go along with traditional cooking way too much to convert to frequent Crockpot cooking, but every now and then it is the perfect answer to a busy day.

Asian Short Ribs
Recipe Courtesy of Real Simple Magazine

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
1 small green cabbage (I omitted this)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced

In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper.

Add Short ribs and carrots and arrange in a single layer.

Cook, covered, for 7-8 hours on low or until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone. Transfer the short ribs and carrots to plates.

With a large spoon or ladle, skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard.

Turn the slow cooker to high. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Whisk into the cooking liquid and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the sesame oil. Spoon the sauce over the short ribs and vegetables and sprinkle with scallions.

This meal was amazing - restaurant quality amazing. The flavor of the beef and the depth of the sauce were both so satisfying. The ribs were unbelievably tender and the carrots complemented them perfectly. I will definitely be making this meal again!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh...drool!! This looks insanely delish! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I am going to have to find a reason to come to DC for this meal! I am really into ribs lately. And I have a vivid memory of that David Copperfield show also. Aunt Eileen was with us!

Your Sister,
Jessica

Anonymous said...

Hey, Bizzy! How messy would I get eating THAT?!

Your Brother,
Ribs...I mean Trey

Woody said...

Top 10 meal ever. Is was very good and it tasted even better the second day.

Anonymous said...

This looks great! Where does the green cabbage play in if you didn't omit it? Is it just added along with everything else at the beginning?

Elizabeth said...

Carmen,
You just place the green cabbage on top of the ribs in the beginning before you place the cover on the crockpot.

Jennifer said...

We must be on the same wavelength, I just made them sunday for dinner, yours look better tho!

MaryBeth said...

My husband loves ribs and I'm sure these would be a real hit with him.

Anonymous said...

I happen to have some beef short ribs in my freezer right now and this recipe looks great. One problem...no crockpot. Suggestions for stove top cooking in a dutch oven?

Anonymous said...

Tag! You're it! (you've been tagged)

Sharon said...

I found you via Tastespotting. I've never cooked ribs but I do have a crockpot! I've been looking for more slow cooker recipe now that it's getting cooler out.

JadedOne said...

I also found you through tastespotting. My hubby made this last night and it was AMAZING!! Thanks for the recipe!

Anonymous said...

I wanted a simple recipe for cooking short ribs, and I have a crockpot, so I'll be making this. Thanks!

Toby Levy Lowe said...

I have no idea if you'll see this since this is such an old post... but I'm planning on making these tomorrow in my crockpot and am prepping it now. It is a very small amount of liquid in the bottom of the crock... the ribs don't get dry or burn going all day with such a small amount of liquid?
Thanks!

Elizabeth said...

Toby,

As long as you leave the crockpot on low you will be fine. The ribs don't dry out, they are delicious. Let me know how you like them and good luck!

The Glitterati said...

This looks awesome! Just a quick clarification:

"Cook, covered, on high for 7-8 hours on low or until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone."

Should it cook for 7-8 hours on high, or on low? Thanks so much!

Elizabeth said...

Glitterati,

They need to be cooked on low. I edited the recipe to reflect that temp. Thanks for catching that error!

The Glitterati said...

Wow, thanks for the quick reply, can't wait to try these out! :)

The Glitterati said...

Just wanted to pop back and say we tried these this weekend... they were soooo good, and a big hit! I ended up cooking everything on high for 4.5 hours, as I ran short on time. (I have a smaller slow cooker, so had to open the lid and turn the ribs a bit half way through to get all of them saucy. If cooked in 1 layer as instructed, it probably would have just taken 4 hrs.)

Anyway. Super delicious and super easy. Thanks for the post!