Have I mentioned that I've gone back to school? Yes, 20 years after graduating college, I've decided to further my education by earning a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. It has been 10 months in the program thus far and I'm really enjoying the experience. Whoever said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks really didn't know what they were talking about! It has been incredible to expand my capacity for taking in and retaining, new information on a weekly basis. At first, the weekly reading load was a strain, but like any muscle, I've felt my brain growing through the process :) It definitely helps when you are studying a subject that truly fascinates you, so for that I am grateful.
While I've drastically cut back on time spent working in the businesses to allow time for school, I'm still raising two teenagers, working on publishing projects, and managing some business owner responsibilities. I attend class in the early evenings which can really throw a wrench in my dinner-making routine. So to compensate for my absence in the kitchen I've been relying on slow cooker and instant pot recipes. There's nothing better than coming home from class to a house that smells like freshly cooked dinner! With just a bit of time spent earlier in the day to get the items prepped and into the cooker/pot we are rewarded with a delicious, healthy, home-cooked meal!
These ribs are incredibly tender and flavorful! I served mine over Mashed Butternut Squash for a complete meal.
1 tablespoon avocado oil
5 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup bone broth
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon brown Swerve
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 bay leaves
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
Turn your Instant Pot on to Saute mode. Add the avocado oil and warm. Season the ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the ribs in batches, then remove from the Instant Pot.
Still in Saute mode, add the garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the onions until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Mix in the thyme and tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes.
Deglaze with the wine, scraping up any stuck bits from the bottom. Simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, balsamic vinegar, swerve, coconut aminos, fish sauce, bay leaves, mushroom slices and celery.
Add the ribs back into the Instant Pot, spooning sauce over any ribs that aren’t submerged. Cover and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Once the cook time is done allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and scoop out the ribs.
If you’d like to thicken the sauce: strain out the vegetables (save these!) and turn on Saute mode. In a small bowl whisk together 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons water until no lumps remain. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has reached the desired thickness.
Salt the ribs to taste! Serve the ribs on Mashed Butternut Squash with sauce and the reserved veggies. Enjoy!
You might think that Fish Sauce is a weird ingredient for this recipe, but trust me on this one! While fish sauce does NOT smell very good all on its own, when you add just the right amount to a savory-sweet dish like this it amps up the flavor like nothing else!
Calories: 448
Fat: 25g
Carbohydrates: 4g
Sodium: 279mg
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 40g
Sugar: 1g