Spicy Cacao Beef Short Ribs with Peppers and Cauli Rice

Fall off the bone short ribs & peppers-- a crock-pot recipe fit for company!

I almost made regular barbecue short ribs. Thank the Lord I didn't, because these are infinitely better! Cacao? Yes. Lawd yes. The cacao brings out all the amazing flavors in these tender, fall off the bone, short ribs!

I don't know about you all, but I love a good slow-cooker/ crock-pot recipe. We're all busy, and most of us can't sit around the house all day while our oven is on, or spend an hour standing in the kitchen cooking. So, it's the glorious crock-pot to the rescue!

The crock-pot has been a kitchen staple for decades now. It is also a wedding shower staple, to which anyone who has been married in recent decades can attest. I can't even remember how many I received as a wedding gift. I thought it was crazy then, but now that I have a cooking blog, I kinda sorta wish I had kept them all. I hate to admit that there has been more than once I have wished I had two crock-pots going at once-- especially when I'm waiting on 24 hour bone broth!

I don't just make crock-pot recipes because they're popular. I make them because I actually use mine multiple times a week! As a homeschool mom whose husband works from home, I am feeding 3 Paleo (ish) meals a day, everyday, to 4 people, crock-pot just makes sense. And it makes my life 100 bazillion times easier!

So, here's a new recipe for your slow-cooker days that will wow you, your family, and even guests-- yes, this is a crock-pot recipe that is good enough for a dinner party! I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did!

Spicy Cacao Beef Short Ribs with Peppers and Cauli Rice 

For the Short Ribs & Peppers

Cacao? Yes. Lawd yes.

Ingredients:

6-8 beef short ribs
2 red peppers sliced
2 green peppers sliced
1 large yellow onion sliced
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs dried cilantro (2 fresh, plus more for sprinkling)
3 Tbs raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more for sprinkling)

Directions:

In a bowl, blend garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, 2 Tbs of cacao, & sea salt to make a seasoning mix. Place the short ribs into your slow cooker. Pour seasoning over short ribs & rub to coat all the meat. Throw all the sliced peppers and onion over top of the meat. Sprinkle with another Tbs of cacao, a little more cilantro, and sea salt. Put the lid on the slow-cooker/ crock-pot and cook on low for approximately 5-6 hours. Check the meat after 5 hours, if you can. If the meat is falling away easily from the bone, they ribs are done. If not, allow to cook for another hour and check again.

Cooked in juice from the meat, this rice extra flavorful!

For the Cauli Rice

Ingredients:

1-2 heads fresh cauliflower chopped*
4-6 cloves fresh garlic
1 ladle-full of juice from the cooked short ribs
Salt & pepper

*how much cauliflower you need will depend largely on the size of your crowd & the size of the cauliflower

Directions:

Put chopped cauliflower & garlic cloves into a food processor or blender. Pulse until the cauliflower reaches the size of rice. I like to process my cauliflower in small batches to get even sized pieces. This works well if you have a smaller food processor like myself. Once the cauliflower has been processed, in a pan over medium heat, add the juice from the ribs. Add the cauli rice with some salt & pepper and cook until just warmed through, or until your desired doneness. We like our's a little al dente.

To Plate:

Place some cauli rice on a plate. Top with a rib or two...or three if you're hungry. Wink, wink. Then add some peppers and onions, some fresh avocado, and ENJOY!