Crockpot Korean Short Rib Tacos

Short ribs are so, so good.


Did you know that this summer is the Olympics???  I love the Olympics.  Especially gymnastics.

When I was younger, I was OBSESSED with gymnastics.  The year that I was 12, I taped (like, on a VCR) every second of the 1992 women's gymnastics broadcasts.  Then I would watch them over and over again, while I practiced my handstands and front walkovers. Except that my handstands didn't really count as "standing on my hands" because I had to do do them against a wall because, well, I didn't have very good balance.  Or muscles.  And the front walkovers never ended well because....I couldn't do a front walkover.  They started out okay, I even had pretty nice form.  But then the back half got a bit messy.  Good thing I had a twin-sized mattress to "land" on, or I'd have a broken back like 500 times over.  Its actually shameful that I never got even a little bit good, because I would seriously do this for hours on end, several days a week.  I wonder what could have happened with my life if I was that dedicated to my schoolwork. 

I laugh about this all today, because I can see now how completely delusional I was.  I mean, I actually thought that I could BECOME a gymnast.  I was convinced.  The thing is.....I'm not exactly a delicate flower, if you know what I mean.  As an adult, I'm 5'11" and constantly trying to lose 10 pounds (okay, 15....GEEZ!!!).  As a child, I was shorter and weighed less....but only in comparison to my adult self and not necessarily in comparison to the other kids.  Or, to gymnasts. 

Sadly, my gymnastics career was short lived.  By the time the 1996 Olympics came around, I discovered that perhaps basketball was a better sport for me and gymnastics didn't seem so glamorous any more.  Besides, basketball shorts are way more comfy than leotards.

Either way, I'm still really excited about the Olympics this summer and will totally DVR all of the gymnastics.  I'll try to refrain from handstands and front walkovers in the living room, though.  Because we don't have a twin mattress and I have breakable decor.



So! Let's talk about short ribs. I've seen this recipe for crockpot Korean short ribs all over the blog world. Some of these blogs even have followers that aren't their immediate family members (or famous weathermen!!). Imagine that. Anyway, I've been dreaming about these tacos for a long, long time. Because I looooove me some short ribs. They were sweet and spicy and just all around yummy. And the best part? The crockpot does the work so you can practice your gymnastics in the back yard while dinner is cooking.

Crockpot Korean Beef Tacos

Source: adapted from My Life as a Mrs. and Pink Parsley

For the Cucumber Slaw:
1 English cucumbers

3 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 pinches of salt
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I used a lot!)

For the beef:
5 pounds beef short ribs

1 1/2 cups low sodium soy sauce
1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar (I used Splenda brown sugar to save some cals, worked just fine!)
12 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (fresh is a must!)
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (not olive!)

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

For the tacos:
small taco-sized flour tortillas
cilantro

3 scallions, chopped
sriracha

Slice cucumbers as thin as you can get them and place in a bowl. Add the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper; toss to combine. Set aside until ready to use.

Spray a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add the short ribs. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until combined; pour over the ribs. Cook on high heat for 2 hours and then reduce to low and cook for another 3 1/2.  You know its done when you can see the meat falling off the bone. When ready to serve, take out of crockpot, remove bones, and shred.

Warm taco shells in the microwave.  Add shredded beef, cucumber slaw, scallions, and cilantro. Drizzle with sriracha and serve!  We had this with some roasted broccoli and it was perfect!