Thai Short Ribs- The Art of the Slow Cooker (originally posted January 22, 2014)

I have always loved the idea of a slow cooker- just dump everything into a pot, pick the appropriate setting, press go, and voila! A few hours later, and with very little effort, you’ve got yourself a meal! But then I began experimenting with mine and was sad to discover that far too many crockpot recipes are bland, boring, and unhealthy.
Determined to make this convenient, magical kitchen tool of regular use in my kitchen, however, I made it my quest to find more appealing recipes, no matter what it took. Luckily, it didn’t take long to land upon what has become one of my favorite recipes, in this gem of a cookbook:

While healthy isn’t the label I’d give these ribs, bland and boring they certainly are not! Because they aren’t the healthiest, I don’t make these on a very regular basis, but once in a while or for a special meal, they are great. In fact, I made them as part of Christmas Eve dinner this past year, and they were a hit with everyone present. Even my super picky toddler! The flavor is to die for, and the meat literally falls off the bone.
So, without further ado, I present to you Art of the Slow Cooker’s Thai Short Ribs:
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
3 -4 lbs beef short ribs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced gingerroot
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
lime, juice and zest of
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
3 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Preheat a broiler on high. Season ribs with salt and pepper and set bone side down on broiler tray. Spray with nonstick spray and broil until meaty parts are brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker.
2. Mix together the garlic, ginger, hoisin, vinegar, fish sauce, honey, soy sauce, and lime zest and juice in a bowl and pour over ribs. Cook until tender, about 3 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low.
3. Transfer the ribs to a platter. Skim fat from the liquid and discard. Add the jalapeno, scallions, and cilantro and cook on high 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over meat and serve.
***Notes:
-I serve the ribs over rice (usually brown basmati or brown jasmine- found at Trader Joe’s) and with a side vegetable (asparagus, steamed artichoke, or a salad go nicely).
-When I know I’m going to have a super busy day, I make the sauce the night before and just refrigerate it so that the day of, all I need to do is broil the meat and throw everything into the cooker.
-The slow cooker I use is the 6 Quart Size Hamilton Beach Set N’ Forget. It has served me very well and I highly recommend it.