Asian Beef Short Ribs ~ Crockpot Cooking

This dish makes for a nice change of flavors from the traditional American barbecued short ribs. The texture is more like classic pot roast as it's fork tender. I like this recipe because the meat and the vegetables cook together, leaving me only with rice to prepare.


I'm making them in a crockpot (slow cooker) but you could as easily make them in the oven. Serve them with rice. Don't worry that the sauce doesn't initially cover all of the meat and vegetables. As they cook, additional moisture will be created so that all of the meat and vegetables are covered in sauce.


Ingredients

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper


Main Ingredients
6-8 boneless or bone-in beef short ribs
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
1 1/2 medium onions (yellow Spanish)
1 small green cabbage, quartered (note)

Finishing Sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions
Combine the sauce ingredients in small bowl. In large slow cooker, add the short ribs, onions and carrots arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Pour the sauce over the ribs and carrots. Lay the cabbage on top.

Note:  You can substitute Chinese cabbage, but it doesn't require as long a cooking time. If you do, separate the top delicate leaves from the lower harder stem portions. Place the harder stem portions on top of the ribs/carrots, about 1 hour before serving. Add the tender top leafy portions about 15 minutes before serving.

Cook, covered, on high for 6 hours or until the meat is tender.

Transfer the cabbage, short ribs, and carrots to plates. With a large spoon, skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan. 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 the optional scallions.

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