Szechuan Short Ribs – Paleo Friendly

When I first made these Szechuan short ribs, I set them to cook all day and dashed out of the house to a meeting. I thought I had created a winning number for our Paleo followers.

That wave of satisfaction soon came crashing down as I realized my mistakes “no soy,” I remembered, ” or refined sugars,” both of which had made their way into the short ribs. Until that moment I had deftly crossed a new frontier into Paleo territory.

The Szechuan short ribs recipe needs soy sauce. It provides the umami or “fifth taste” component, derived from the fermentation of soy beans, but soy is non Paleo. Ditto for the the refined sugar. What was even more disappointing was just how good those ribs tasted when they were done, so it was back to the drawing board.

Determined to refine the Szechuan ribs and make them accessible to Paleo devotees, I exchanged the sugar for maple syrup and then discovered an ingredient which previously I had no idea existed – “Coconut Secret” or raw coconut aminos, to replace the soy sauce. That was the umami.

So why Paleo? After regular requests for a month of Paleo recipes, we spotted their synergy with our “slow down Sunday” collection of meat or fish dishes cooked in a sauce or gravy, to be enjoyed late on Sunday afternoons.

I am not a short order cook in my home kitchen and avoid diet bandwagons. I do, however, pay attention to the idea that some foods have the potential to heal, some can cause irritation and in the same vain certain components of a Paleo Diet are favorable to some. We’ve opted for a Paleo inclusive menu this month with a series of recipes which include substitutions when required.

Enjoy your Sunday and return to dine on these short ribs smothered in an aromatic and complex Szechuan sauce with a shredded lime dressed salad on the side.

Zen giveaway! Join in our instagram #slowdownsunday giveaway this month for the opportunity to take home a trio of Zen Spice Blends for yourself and a friend. All you have to do to enter the random draw is follow the instructions below on Sunday April 12th, 19th and/or 26th.

1) Take a picture and post what you are doing to your instagram account

2) Tag the picture #slowdownsunday

3) Tag the picture with @zencooks

4) Choose one instagram friend to give a Sunday and tag them

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time:  9-10 hours LOW or 5 hours HIGH

Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs short ribs

2 tbsp Chinese 5 spice

2 tbsp light olive oil

1 orange, zested and juiced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic,minced

1 cup beef broth

1/4 cup brown sugar – maple syrup

1/6 cup soy sauce – coconut aminos

1/6 cup rice wine vinegar

1/6 cup red wine

1/8 cup sesame oil

1 tbsp chili paste * optional

Put the short ribs into a large bowl and sprinkle with with the Chinese 5 spice.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the ribs on high for 2 minutes either side. Put the ribs into the slow cooker and add the orange zest, juice and ginger.

In the same skillet you browned the ribs in, fry the onions and garlic gently for 2 minutes. Add them to the the rib mixture in your slow cooker.

In a jug mix the broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, red wine and sesame oil. Pour over the rib mixture, cover on High for 5 hours or low for 9-10 hours.

Zen Moment

“I don’t think of myself as unbreakable. Perhaps I’m just rather flexible and adaptable.”