Slow Cooked Asian Beef Ribs

When you are time poor nothing is more rewarding than working in the front door to the smell of dinner already cooked (or cooking). Thank God for Slow Cookers, right?

This recipe had very minimal effort required first thing this morning but had maximum flavour when it came to sitting down and eating after a very busy day indeed.  Beside work there was also football training and picking up my car from the mechanics after having the brakes down, along with a very fitting funeral service for my Uncle Ted.  My uncle passed peacefully last Wednesday and his final farewell was today.

Needless to say walking in the door was bliss to know I only had to boil rice!

These ribs were melt in your mouth!  The tender juicy meat falling of the bone enveloped with a slightly sweet sauce with the undertones of chilli and star anise - it's a flavour combination that I love. 

I guess you could quite easily use pork rashers or ribs and achieve the same outcome or even perhaps chicken cutlets or lamb shanks as this sauce would definitely compliment any meat.

Slow Cooked Asian Beef Ribs

(Recipe adapted from Food.com)

Serves: 8

SmartPoints per Serve: 11

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, crushed

1⁄4 cup hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 cup fresh orange juice

2 whole star anise

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons sake

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to suit your taste)

2 kilograms short beef ribs

1 brown onion, diced

3 large carrots, diced

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped

Mix together soy sauce, ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, orange juice, star anise, oyster sauce, sake, five spice and cayenne pepper in the slow cooker vessel.

Add beef ribs, onion and carrots.  Toss to ensure all beef ribs are coated in the sauce mix.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius.  Remove ribs and vegetables to an oven proof dish and place in oven to keep warm.

Pour sauce into a separate jug. Allow fat to separate and skim as much off the top.

Place sauce in a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil and reduce to medium heat.  Combine water and cornflour together.  Mix combined cornflour into sauce, continually stirring, until slightly thickened.

Pour sauce over ribs, sprinkle with coriander and serve with steamed rice (add 4 SP per 1/2 cup, if desired).

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)