March 18, 2014

Slow Cooker Pomegranate Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Cauliflower Grains

What’s the one piece of equipment in your kitchen that is the most underutilized? For me, I would have to guess it’s my slow cooker. I think it’s because it’s too big to fit on my counter top (bigger kitchen? yes, please!). So it gets tucked away in a cabinet and lays there forgotten about for long stretches of time. Which is really a pity. Because I LOVE the convenience of my slow cooker. And everything that comes out of there is just so damn delicious. Low and slow is the way to go (HA – I made a rhyme!).

But this week, I gave my slow cooker the attention it deserves and made some incredibly flavorful Beef Short Ribs. They’ve got a bit of a sweet and sour thing going on. And lots of spices and fresh herbs to keep your taste buds happy. And after cooking all day, the meat just falls off the bone. I’ll be upfront and tell you that the recipe calls for searing the beef before adding it to your slow cooker. Now, this is something I usually hate doing. It’s messy and it makes extra dishes, which for me kind of defeats the purpose of using my slow cooker in the first place. But it’s actually worth it here, because it creates a wonderfully flavorful crust that you wouldn’t get if you just threw everything together at once.

Lately I’ve been playing around with using cauliflower as a replacement for grains, so I decided to make some Parmesan Cauliflower Grains to use as the bed for these Beef Short Ribs. And it was a good decision on my part. The Cauliflower Grains do a great job at soaking up all the delicious sauce and juices from the meat. And while their flavor is a bit more distinctive than plain rice or potatoes, I don’t think it distracts at all from the main dish. All around, it was a pretty comforting meal.

Cheers,

Liz

Recipe for the Beef Short Ribs from Half Baked Harvest

Slow Cooker Pomegranate Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Cauliflower Grains

Serves 4

Ingredients

• For the Beef Short Ribs
• 4 lb beef short ribs
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1/3 cup Tamari (or regular soy sauce if you’re not gluten free)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Seeds from one pomegranate, divided

• For the Parmesan Cauliflower Grains
• 4 cups Cauliflower Grains
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Spray the inside of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or lightly coat with oil) and set aside. Season the meat with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ribs, working in batches if necessary, and sear on all sides until lightly browned (about 1 minutes per side). Remove the ribs and place them in the bowl of your slow cooker.
2. To the ribs, add all the remaining ingredients, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds for garnish. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. The meat should be very tender and almost falling off the bone.
3. When the Beef Short Ribs are almost done, toss the Cauliflower Grains and grated Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Taste for salt and pepper.
4. Serve the Ribs over the Parmesan Cauliflower Grains with a few extra spoonfuls of sauce and the reserved pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!
5. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

3.1

https://www.floatingkitchen.net/slow-cooker-pomegranate-beef-short-ribs-with-parmesan-cauliflower-grains/