These slow-cooker asian-marinated short ribs are my go-to winter dish if you are striving to impress your guests. rich and sumptuous bone-in beef short ribs are browned the evening before you wish to serve then dunked in an intoxicating marinade overnight. when you awake, transfer them to your slow cooker and they will cook all day long in the decadent marinade. the marinade is inspired by popular asian ingredients and the combination truly sings.
asian marinated short rib ingredients:
here is the ingredient line up…
- short ribs: I use 12 bone-in beef short ribs, ideally around 4 pounds total.
- aromatics: asian pear, ginger, scallions, jalapeño and garlic form the base of the marinade.
- braising liquid: lime juice, rice wine vinegar, honey, tomato paste, coconut aminos and beef broth form the base of the braising liquid.
- arrowroot: helps thicken the braising liquid after cooking the short ribs.
how to make:
the slow cooker is your best friend in this slow cooker asian-marinated short ribs recipe. start off by seasoning and searing your short ribs in a large saute pan and pureeing your marinade in a blender or nutribullet. the marinade is poured atop the seared short ribs in your slow cooker pot then refrigerated overnight to marinate. when you awake the next morning, simply pop your slow cooker pot in the machine and let it cook all day long.
menu ideas:
these slow cooker asian-marinated short ribs are lovely served for a weeknight dinner, yet flavorful and refined enough to serve at a fancy dinner. below are some menu option ideas to consider.
- weeknight family dinner: short ribs, sautéed bok choy & baked sweet potatoes.
- couple dinners party: pan-fried frozen dumplings with dipping sauces, short ribs and roasted asparagus.
- sunday supper: short ribs, cauliflower fried rice and Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce.
Slow Cooker Asian Marinated Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in short ribs (about 12 individual ribs)
- Liberal pink himalayan salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons arrowroot
- fresh lime wedges sliced scallions and toasted white sesame seeds, for serving
Asian Marinade:
- 3 scallions roots removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- Juice of 1 large lime
- 6 cloves garlic
- ½ cup yellow onion roughly diced
- One 2-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- One medium jalapeno sliced
- 1.5 cups Asian pear, peeled and roughly diced (approximately ½ pear, you can substitute an anjou pear if not available)
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
- 20 turns freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Warm a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to preheat for 3-4 minutes until blazing hot but not smoking. Meanwhile, liberally dry short ribs with paper towels and generously season all over with salt and pepper.
- When pan is ready, add olive oil to the pan and immediately transfer short ribs over, in an even layer, to brown on the first side. Let brown, undisturbed, 3-4 minutes per side. Turn heat to medium if pan is getting too hot. Repeat process until all ribs are browned and transfer to a slow cooker pot.
- Next, make your Asian marinade. In a high-speed blender, combine all marinade ingredients and blend until very smooth. Pour marinade over ribs, submerging completely. Add lid to slow cooker pot and transfer to refrigerator to chill and marinate overnight, at least 8-12 hours.
- After marinating, return short ribs to slow cooker machine and cook on low for 8 hours until ribs are fork tender and start to fall off the bone.
- Transfer ribs to a sheet pan or serving platter. With tongs and a fork, gently scrape off any excess fat or gristle on exterior. Set aside and tent pan with foil to keep ribs warm.
- With a ladle, begin removing fat and impurities from the top of your short rib sauce. All of the liquid gold is under the top fat layer. When finished, pour sauce into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- When sauce is simmering, slowly whisk in arrowroot, a little at a time, making sure to whisk continuously to prevent any lumps. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes, whisking continuously, until thickened.
- Ladle some sauce atop each short rib then garnish platter with fresh lime wedges, sliced scallions and toasted white sesame seeds, for serving.
