We decided to have a little fun on St. Patrick’s Day and make what we called a “Leprechaun Feast!” Knowing that Leprechauns are small and in love with a particular precious metal, we decided to roll those attributes into one meal! So, we made Short Ribs, Roasted Brussels Sprouts (which we think of as shrunken cabbages), and Yukon Gold Sneaky Mashed Potatoes!
On to the ribs themselves, we opted to rely on our slow cooker to do most of the heavy lifting since it makes such tender ribs. To start, we seared them on the top and bottom before pulling them out of our pan and transferring them into our slow cooker. Then, we deglazed the pan with some Guinness (it is an Irish inspired meal after all) and let that simmer a little to enrich itself with the flavours of the onion, garlic, and mustard seed. From there, we used about half of our Guinness as a braising liquid in our slow cooker, and we stashed the rest aside in a mason jar with a little added beef stock to use to make a gravy when the ribs finished up.
In the end, the beef fell off the bone and was super tender…and the gravy was a huge hit as well! If you prefer a slightly different side dish with similar ingredients, we suggest our Irish Cheddar Colcannon!
Time: 8 Hours (most of which is time spent with your ribs in a slow cooker)
Ingredients:
- Beef Short Ribs
- Smoked Sea Salt (if you have it…if not, Kosher Salt will work)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mustard Seeds
- Honey
- 12-14 oz Guinness or other Stout of your choosing
- 2-3 ounces of Beef or Vegetable stock
- 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- 2 Tablespoons Warm Water
Method:
- Peel and dice your onion and garlic.
- Heat a little butter or olive oil in a large pan, and add your onions and garlic.
- As your onions/garlic cook, carefully work a knife under the connective tissue under the rib bones, and then use your finger to work further under. Remove this membrane completely.
- Cut your ribs into the size portions you like…we cut each rib so it would be on its own. Then, sprinkle your salt on the top.
- Add your mustard seeds in with your garlic and onion, and stir together.
- Add your ribs with the bone side up to the middle of your pan, and sear for a few minutes until they start to brown. Then, use tongs to flip, and sear the bottom.
- Transfer your ribs to your slow cooker.
- Pour your stout beer into the pan, and use a sturdy spatula to deglaze your pan, and bring everything to a low simmer. Mix in some honey, and heat for another minute or two.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop your onions and garlic out, and place those atop your ribs in the slow cooker.
- Pour about half of the liquid over your ribs in the slow cooker as your braising liquid, and set the slow cooker to low heat. Cook for around 7 hours, basting occasionally.
- Transfer the rest of your liquid into a measuring cup or a mason jar, and add in your beef or vegetable stock. Set aside until you’re just about ready to eat.
- When your ribs are nearly finished up, pour the liquid from your measuring cup or mason jar into a saucepan, and bring to a simmer.
- Combine your corn starch with your warm water, and stir or shake until it’s fully dissolved. Then, pour into your saucepan, and whisk as it thickens into your gravy.
- Plate your ribs, top with your gravy, devour, and enjoy!
