Short ribs are marbled with a fair amount of fat—that’s part of what makes them so good! Searing the ribs renders some of the fat, but this recipe skips that step in the interest of saving time, so you’ll want to thoroughly skim the cooking liquid before drizzling it over the meat and vegetables.
Serves 4
Prep: 20 minutes
Slow Cook: 8 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
Total: 8 hours 20 minutes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grated orange zest, plus extra for sprinkling
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Whole30-compliant tomato paste
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
12 bone-in beef short ribs (about 4½ pounds)
1 package (12 ounces) riced cauliflower and sweet potato, prepared according to package directions
In a 6-quart slow cooker, stir together the onion, orange zest, orange juice, tomato paste, chipotle powder, garlic, and salt. Place the ribs in the slow cooker; add the orange juice mixture and toss to coat.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 4½ hours.
Transfer the ribs to a serving platter. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Serve the ribs on the riced cauliflower and sweet potato, drizzled with the cooking liquid and topped with additional orange zest.
Instant Pot Variation Follow the directions in the first two steps using a 6-quart Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place. Select Meat/Stew, select More/High, and cook 1 hour 15 minutes. Use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. Continue with the remaining directions.