Braised Ribs: The Speedy Slow Cooker

It's test week, so I have little time to cook.  I actually should be studying instead of writing this blog, but procrastination is addictive.  I turned to my slow cooker this week for a savior from my hunger woes.  Through my internet search, I found a great recipe for braised short ribs from a 2008 Bon Appetit Post: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Short-Ribs-350091.

As in my usual style, I changed the recipe.  Instead of beef spareribs, I used pork loin ribs because 1) I like pork better than beef and 2) loin ribs are less fatty than spareribs.   But feel free to use which ever suits your taste.  I also added rosemary and fennel to add more flavor into the broth and carrots for a sweet component.  After 30 min, voila, I have delicious ribs.  Well, it actually took 8 hours to cook, but that doesn't count since I went to bed during this time.

When I had it for lunch the next day, I was surprised at how good it tasted.  The red wine really gives the ribs a rich flavor and the fennel adds extra depth.  The cooked carrots were also delicious, sweet and savory at the same time.  All the ingredients in this recipe should be gluten free.  But for those that are extra sensitive, double check all your ingredients.  Certain brands of wine may contain gluten from the production process.

Enjoy!

Starting Ingredients:

Chopped Onions

On Sale for $5.47 :D

Pork Loin Ribs

Carrots and Garlic

I placed all the ingredients in the slow cooker, putting the carrots down first, then the onions, garlic.  I sprinkled fennel seeds, dried rosemary, and a couple of bay leaves.  Then I salted and peppered my ribs first before adding them to the slow cooker.

All ingredients added before cooking.

Afterwards, I dumbed a few cans of diced tomatoes, and added the red wine.  I only used 1/3rd of the bottle of wine and added water to fully submerge the ribs in liquid.  You do this to ensure that the meat doesn't dry up for the long cooking ahead.

After 5 hours of cooking on high, I propped the lid open slightly to evaporate some of the water, making the soup thicker.










After another 2 hours on high, I closed the lid and cooked on low for 3 more hours.  My goal was to have the meat fall off the bone.  However, if you prefer it less tender, you can cook it for just 5 hours.

There was still a lot of soup base left, which I felt bad about throwing away.  I ended up freezing it to use another day for pasta sauce.





This is the recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.  Feel free to use fresh herbs, I only used dried cause they're cheaper.  Also, exact measurements aren't crucial.  A little extra of this and that won't change the dish much.

• 4-5 lbs (1 rack) of pork loin ribs
• 1lb carrots (optional, can use potatoes too)
• 2 cups of dry red wine (1/3 of a bottle)
• 23 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 larged onion, chopped
• 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of fennel seeds
• 4 dried bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper.  Place carrots on bottom of slow cooker, then add onions, garlic, rosemary, fennel, bay leaves.  Place the seasoned ribs on top and pour in the tomatoes and wine.  Add a few sprinkles of additional salt and pepper (can do this by taste too after it's cooked).  Cook in a slow cooker on high for 6-8 hours depending on how tender you like the ribs.  Serve with your favorite side of green veggies.