This recipe has quickly become one of my family’s favorites for week nights. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE using the crock pot during the week; especially on those really busy days… you can throw some ingredients in it and slow cook it all day and come out with a deliciously tender and flavorful meal at the end of a busy day. This recipe is not one of my own, but I tweaked it to my taste from an old issue of cooking light magazine. Also it is worthy to note for those of you who aren’t huge Indian food fans, the underlying ‘curry’ note of flavoring in this dish is very mild, so it is not an overwhelming or strong curry flavor. I like to serve this dish over Basmati rice, but white, jasmine, or brown rice will work just as well.

Curried Beef Short Ribs
2 tsp. olive oil
1.5 – 2 lbs. of beef short ribs (you can also substitute “country style beef spare ribs” as well)
sea salt
black pepper
1 small onion, chopped finely
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. minced, fresh ginger (or you can substitute dry powdered ginger)
1/2 c. – 3/4 c. of water or chicken broth
2 tbsp. red curry paste
1 can of light coconut milk
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 regular sized can of diced tomatoes
2-3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 cup of basmati rice (makes 4-5 servings of rice cooked)

step 1: Heat the olive oil in a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper on each side and cook in pan browning all sides (about 1-2 min. per side). Transfer meat to the crock pot.

step 2: Add onion, garlic, ginger, water or broth, and red curry paste to the pan and saute over medium-low heat until onion is just tender; scraping the browned bits of the beef ribs from the bottom of the pan. Stir in coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, and diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until ingredients are well combined. Pour coconut milk mixture over the top of the ribs in the crock pot. Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

step 3: A half hour before cooking time is done measure out 1 cup of basmati rice. Rinse in a bowl with several changes of water. Drain water, then transfer rice to a medium sized saucepan. Add 2 cups of water to the saucepan. Do not stir the rice while cooking! Cook rice covered with a lid on high heat until it begins to boil and bubble; then turn down the heat to medium-low (about 3 or 4) and cook until liquid is evaporated and rice is tender. Note: if the liquid is evaporated, but the rice is still a bit too chewy, just add a few Tbsp. of water at a time and continue cooking the rice until it becomes tender.

step 4: I like to shred the beef ribs with two forks and break it up (as shown in the picture above). Then I scoop a serving of rice onto a plate and ladle some meat and curry sauce over the rice. You may like to garnish the dish with lime wedges and cilantro if you like. Enjoy!