Slow Cooker Asian Short Ribs

Beef short ribs can be challenging. Grilled, smoked, braised, or roasted, they can end up dry, charred, or worse. Wanting an easier way to enjoy them, I tested quite a few slow cooker short rib recipes, and finally ended up combining a few for this one. Made entirely in the slow cooker, with no need for even a mixing bowl, these are the simplest, most flavorful short ribs I could devise.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 lbs beef short ribs, 2 to 4 inches in length
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
• Chopped parsley and sesame seeds (for garnish)

Helpful Gear:

• 6 quart slow cooker
• Silicone whisk

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Dump all the ingredients, except the short ribs, into the slow cooker and whisk until blended. A silcone whisk helps to prevent scratching the bottom of the cooker. This is strictly a cooking sauce, meant to help permeate the meat with flavor. Even if you trim the excess fat off your short ribs before you cook them (I trim mine after, but before I plate them), there is so much fat in most short ribs that it would make a somewhat unappetizing sauce for drizzling over rice, etc... At the end of the Instructable I describe how to make extra sauce for dipping and drizzling.

Add the short ribs to the cooking sauce a few at a time, turning them to coat them. When all the ribs are in the cooker, on to the next step.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, turning the ribs gently every hour or so to ensure they each get equal time on the bottom. To test for done-ness, try to remove the bone, if it slides freely, the ribs are fully cooked.

Garnish with parsley and sesame seeds, optionally serve on a bed of rice.

Enjoy!

Dipping/Drizzling Sauce:

If you want some extra sauce for drizzling, dipping, etc... Simply make another batch of the sauce in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add a slurry made from 2 tbsp of cornstarch added to 1/4 cup water. Simmer until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.