Crockpot Korean Short Ribs Tacos Bento #59

Recently, a coworker was talking about how much she loved cooking with her crockpot. She described how easy it was to use, and how much her family loved the meals made with the crockpot. I have owned the same crock pot for over 15 years, and can literally count on 2 hands, the number of times I have used it. I am not a big fan of 1 pot cooking, so the thought of just throwing everything in a crockpot, and having it simmer for hours, just never appealed to me. Plus it always seems that no matter what I make, it all tends to taste the same (saucy and mushy).

So after listening to my coworker rave about her crockpot meals, I decided to dust mine off. I knew I wanted to use it to make something different, so I turned to my beloved (www.Pinterest.com) for inspiration. I did a general “crockpot” search, and a recipe for Crockpot Korean Beef Tacos with Cucumber Slaw (http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/8582/) popped up. Once I saw the picture on Pinterest, I knew I had to make this dish. After making my own adaptations, here is what I created:

I went to The Fresh Market (www.thefreshmarket.com), and purchased about 1 pound of fresh short ribs. They have some of best short ribs, and the butcher will cut them to your specification. Before placing the short ribs into the crockpot, I washed them off in cold water, and removed some (not all) of the excess fat. Once done, I placed the short ribs into crockpot.

I made a sauce combining: 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon sriracha, 1/2 cup water, 2 teaspoon coconut sugar, and 2 cloves minced garlic. I mixed all ingredients well, and poured over short ribs. Once done, I covered and placed crockpot on low heat.

Allow ribs to cook in crockpot for about 8hrs on low, turning occasionally. Once meat is fork tender, remove from crockpot and allow to cool. Once cooled, shred meat in a resealable container, and pour some of the now cooled crockpot sauce over the shredded meat. Set aside/refrigerate until ready to use.

For cucumber slaw, add some thinly sliced cucumbers into a bowl and lightly sprinkle with some sea salt. Allow to sit uncovered for about 10-15 minutes. Once done, drain off excess water from cucumbers. In another bowl add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and crushed red chili peppers. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, pour liquid over the cucumbers, along with some thinly sliced red onions. Set aside for a few minutes until ready to use.

To assemble, strain off excess liquid from the shredded meat and place on top of a whole wheat flour tortilla. Serve with cucumber slaw, and garnish with bean sprouts, freshly chopped cilantro, and a few drops of sriracha chili sauce.