This is crock pot cooking at its tastiest and best. Put your meal in a pot early in the morning for a delicious short rib dinner in the evening. When you come home the ribs will be spicy, tender and ready to eat.

Short Ribs with Garlic and Ginger

INGREDIENTS

3-1/2 Lbs. beef short ribs
1/2 Cup beef broth
4 to 5 Garlic cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 Tspn powered ginger
2 Red hot cherry peppers, left whole with stems removed
5 Tblspn light brown sugar
1 Cup of water
1/2 Cup catsup
2 Tblspn red wine vinegar
1 Large onions, sliced thin
2 to 3 tblspn vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In large skillet, brown short ribs on all sides in hot oil. Remove ribs when browned. Add onions to skillet to make tender and to absorb pan juices.

Place onions in bottom of crock pot and add ribs. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over ribs, cover pot. Cook in crock pot set at medium temperature* for at least 7 to 8 hours.

Makes 6 to 9 servings. Even better the next day.

Serve short ribs with garlic and ginger with hot buttered egg noodles and whole green beans. If you have time try it with small boiled red-skin potatoes and sweet peas. Add biscuits or corn bread and a simple green salad. Two or three medium sized sliced sweet potatoes with these short ribs, make a nice side dish.

Hint
*My crock pot very old, it has an "auto-shift" setting. It starts high, then shifts to low automatically. Set your crock pot according to brand directtions.



Crock Pot Meals

While crock pot cooking is never fast cooking, it is usually quick preparation. And, it is easy and almost always turns out a tender piece of meat, no matter how inexpensive the cut is. These less expensive cuts of meat are the tastiest when grilled or braised slowly over low heat. Crock pot cooking does the same thing.

Although cooking in a crock pot is not a particularly stylish way to cook, it is a good way to assure a meal that the whole family will love. Crock pots are wonderful for people who work outside of home or those who have a home business and do not have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Delicious casserole type meals can be created with creamed soups.

When adding potatoes use sliced, rather than whole potatoes, to assure that the potatoes will cook thoroughly.

Fresh or frozen vegetables work better in crock pot cooking than canned vegetables, except for canned beans or peas; they seem to hold up nicely.

Removing cooked food from the crock pot makes a better looking presentation. If meat and vegetables or potatoes are in the same pot, they can be grouped when served on a large platter.