These Crock Pot Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Rice Pilaf are as delicious as they look, and thanks to your slow cooker (or Instant Pot) and a frozen bag of cauliflower rice, are easy to make, too.
This tasty dish is my friend Elizabeth’s recipe.
Liz is fun because even though she’s an adult, she still dresses up and trick-or-treats with my kids. She sings karaoke with my 10-year-old daughter and she talks about books and cartoons with my 12-year-old son.
Liz is getting married in a couple months, and moving away from us, which makes us sad, but we’re very excited for her next adventure, and can’t wait to see what kinds of recipes she shares with us when she’s using all of her new kitchen wedding gifts. If she didn’t already have one, I’d gift her a Crock-Pot Multicooker, because it can slow cook and pressure cook all in one!
About this recipe, Liz says she loved the lemon and the capers in the cauliflower rice and that the leftovers reheated nicely.
Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP dried sage
- 2 TBSP dried oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 8 to 12 bone-in beef short ribs (3 to 4 pounds)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally 1⁄2 inch thick
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 1 package (12 ounces) frozen riced cauliflower
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp capers, drained
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Combine the sage, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Coat the ribs with the spice mixture. Place the carrots, onions, garlic, and tomato juice in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the ribs.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Transfer the beef and vegetables to a platter with a slotted spoon and cover.
3. Transfer the cooking liquid to a medium saucepan. Skim the fat. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the riced cauliflower according to the package directions. When cooked, add in the lemon zest and juice, capers and olive oil.
5. To serve, place a scoop of pilaf on a plate and top with the ribs and vegetables. Drizzle the sauce over it all.
To make in an Instant Pot, follow the directions in the first two steps, but leave out the carrots. Using the manual setting, cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Use natural release for 10 minutes and then quick release.
Remove the ribs from the pot and add the carrots. Using the saute feature, simmer on medium until the carrots are tender and the sauce is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Follow the directions of the first two steps using a 6-quart Instant Pot, but leave out the carrots. Lock the lid in place. Select Manual and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Use natural release for 5 minutes, then quick release. Remove the ribs from the pot. Add the carrots to the pot. Select Sauté and adjust to Medium.
Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. While the carrots are cooking, prepare the cauliflower rice as noted in step 4. Plate and serve!
If you love ribs, check out these delicious and easy Slow Cooker Spare Ribs!
