Newsflash: I have a new obsession.
Short ribs.
Lots and lots of short ribs.
I made a big batch of short ribs last week and cooked most of them overnight in the crockpot so my downtime became cooking time. When the slow cooker finished, I woke up and ate short ribs with a fork straight from the pot at six in the morning. In short: I haven’t stopped since.
The first thing I tried was beer-soaked short rib enchiladas. They were incredible, but honestly a little over the top for this cut. Short ribs are so tender and richly flavored that piling on too many bold additions can mask what makes them special. That’s why for the next round I tried to keep things simpler.
Tacos felt like the right answer. I love a bright fruit salsa or lots of cheese on tacos, but I wanted these to be about the meat. So I warmed flour tortillas, piled them with pulled short ribs that had been slow-cooked with simple spices and beer, and topped them with thinly sliced cabbage tossed with lime and a light crumble of queso fresco. The contrast of the rich, falling-apart beef and the bright, salty cabbage is exactly what these tacos need.
Simple and perfect.
Next up: short ribs for breakfast. I’m already dreaming about it.
Crockpot Short Rib Tacos with Salted Lime Cabbage and Queso Fresco
Yield:
4
(most likely, depending on how meaty your ribs are!)
8
Pin Recipe
Leave a Review »
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 ounces your favorite beer
- 8 fajita-sized flour or corn tortillas
- 1/2 small head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
Instructions
-
If you’re uncertain how meaty your short ribs are, ask your butcher for guidance so you buy the right amount for the number of people you’re serving.
-
The night before or the morning of cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, sear the short ribs on all sides for about 1 minute until golden. Transfer them to the crockpot. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin. Sprinkle the spice mix over the short ribs, then pour the beer into the crockpot. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. If possible, rotate the ribs once or twice during cooking.
-
When the ribs are done, remove them with tongs and place on a large plate. Let cool until you can handle them, then remove the meat from the bones and shred it.
-
In a large bowl, toss the thinly sliced cabbage with lime zest, lime juice and a pinch of salt, mixing well by hand so the cabbage is evenly coated.
-
To serve, warm the tortillas, then assemble tacos starting with shredded short rib, a handful of the salted lime cabbage, and a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco. Enjoy.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on Instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!
PS: I have a fun margarita recipe coming up just in time for the long weekend — stay tuned.