It appears that it is
Which means, we are tired of being inside. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to be outside, and that includes cooking. Fire up that grill, or warm up the crockpot and lets cook.
I don't want to be over a hot stove this summer. Add to the fact that my family is living in Fifth-wheel this summer (while we build), and the LAST place I want to cook is inside. It's small, crowded and boy does it get HOT in there!! ...think of sweat actually dripping in your eyes...yes that does happen when it's 80 outside... So this summer I will be doing as much as I can on the grill and with our crockpots (yes, I have multiple).
This means that I'm going to try REALLY hard to share recipes that are crockpot based or that are easy on the grill. Now, I do have to give you a caveat about my grill. It is a Holland Grill. Let me just say, it is the ULTIMATE grill!! You can't burn or overcook meat. All you do is turn it on and cook by time. LOVE THIS!! How the grill is set up, is that it uses indirect heat. There is a burner, but above that burner is a juice catch plate that disperses the heat. This means it cooks more like an oven. You are supposed to be able to even cook bread on it. I'm going to give this a shot this year and see how it goes. So that aside... I'm sure all these recipes will work on a regular grill, you just have to be more attentive than I do.
So up first.... our first Crockpot meal and it looks scrumptious!!
- 1 ½ teaspoons 5-spice powder (a mixed spice found in the baking aisle of the supermarket)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 5 garlic cloves, mashed
- 3 pounds beef short ribs, preferably grass-fed
- Recommended side items: Brown rice noodles and bok choy
- Special equipment needed: Slow cooker
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- In a small bowl, combine the 5-spice powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Put the ribs on top of the onion and coat them evenly with the spice mixture. Keeping the ribs on top of the onions helps to keep them out of the juices and fat that will collect at the bottom during cooking.
- Turn slow cooker onto LOW and cook for 9 to 10 hours. (No need to add any water or liquid before starting.)
- Just before serving the ribs, combine the soy sauce and honey in a small pot on the stove. Bring to a light boil and simmer for 5 minutes. (to keep this a one crockpot/pot meal, just everything from the crockpot, set it aside, add soy sauce and honey to the now empty crockpot and simmer.)
- Carefully transfer the ribs to a serving platter (on top of the brown rice noodles and bok choy if using – as pictured above) and pour the sauce over the top of the entire dish. Enjoy!
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.