Slow Cooker Asian Short Rib Tacos with Pineapple

I’ve mentioned it before, but seriously, I eat homemade tacos for dinner every single (or darn near every single) Saturday night. Allow me to explain my longest-running food tradition to you. #warning #itslong

The tradition began before I was even born. My parents played tennis with friends on Saturdays, and tacos were an easy and cheap way to feed a crowd at the end of the day. The tennis playing waned over the years, but the tacos remained.

At some point, it dawned on me that I would have to find a husband willing to go along with this delicious insanity. Luckily, Jeff didn’t bat an eye when I broke the news that every Saturday dinner for the rest of his life had been pre-determined.

Fox Family Tacos are prepared according to an un-changing set of guidelines: Browned ground beef with a little chopped white onion and taco seasoning. La Victoria Salsa Brava hot sauce. Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (also a necessity for my taco macaroni).

Chopped tomato and shredded iceberg lettuce, tossed together in the same bowl with plenty of salt and pepper. Flour and soft-shell corn tortillas, pan-fried in oil. Coca-Cola Classic on the rocks.

Tacos are a perfect way for families to spend time together in the kitchen. My Mom got me involved as soon as I was old enough to wield a box grater.

She would start the beef, and we would both take turns stirring while it cooked. I shredded the block of cheese while she chopped lettuce and tomato. I set the table, poured the Cokes, and woke Dad up from his nap while she fried the tortillas.

Now that Jeff and I have continued the tradition in our own home, I’ve taken over most of my Mom’s old duties, and passed most of my previous duties (including the monotonous cheese-grating task) on to Jeff.

Did I ever eat an Asian taco growing up? Absolutely not. Or a mushroom taco or lamb tacos, for that matter. But since taco night is moving from Saturday evening to Sunday Supper this week, I figured I’d give the tacos a new spin, just this once.

Inspired by some great Korean short rib tacos I’ve eaten from food trucks, these tacos utilize short ribs simmered in a slow cooker with a variety of Asian flavorings, like the gochujang I’m still trying to use up. I topped them with a crunchy carrot and cilantro slaw and juicy, sweet pineapple.

Asian Short Rib Tacos with Pineapple and Crunchy Slaw

Author: Lori Yates

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 35 minutes minutes

Cook: 8 hours hours

Total: 8 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Inspired by some great Korean short rib tacos I’ve eaten from food trucks, these tacos utilize short ribs simmered in a slow cooker with a variety of Asian flavorings.

5 from 1 rating

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon canola oil
• ▢ 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 can beef broth 14.5 ounces
• ▢ ½ cup gochujang Korean chili paste
• ▢ ¼ cup rice vinegar divided
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ketchup
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• ▢ 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
• ▢ ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• ▢ 12 small flour tortillas warmed
• ▢ 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• ▢ Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

• In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add short ribs and cook 8 minutes or until very brown, turning every 2 minutes to brown all sides.
• Meanwhile, in slow cooker bowl, whisk together garlic, broth, gochujang, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, ketchup, honey and ginger. Add short ribs, turning to coat. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.
• In medium bowl, toss carrots, cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons rice vinegar until combined.
• When short ribs are finished cooking, remove from slow cooker. Remove bones and any visible un-rendered fat. Coarsely shred meat. **The meat should be very moist and can be eaten as is. However, if desired, separate the drippings from the fat remaining in the slow cooker bowl. I use a gravy separator for this. Alternatively, you can pour all liquid remaining in the slow cooker bowl into a large measuring cup and refrigerate 20 minutes. The fat should come to the top, and you can easily skim it off and discard. Use a few tablespoons of the meat drippings to stir into the meat.
• Build tacos using tortillas, pineapple, meat and carrot slaw. Serve garnished with sesame seeds.

Calories: 850kcal, Carbohydrates: 72g, Protein: 58g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 1316mg, Potassium: 1422mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 8217IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 193mg, Iron: 9mg

This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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