RECIPE: Slow-Cooked Apple Cider Ribs

Monday being my day to make dinner for the house, I decided to go with something relatively simple that I wouldn't have to worry about when I got home from work.  Once again, I picked my recipe based on what ingredients I happened to have on hand, which happened to be beef ribs, apples, and leftover apple cider from a party.  Hence, slow-cooked apple cider ribs with roasted radishes as a side dish.

Slow-cooker meals are about as easy as they come.  I'm not sure how I feel about them, in general, given that a lot of flavor is cooked out of foods by stewing them for such a long time ... but the simplicity factor means a great deal when you're making a meal for more than just yourself.  And I have to admit that having our whole house together, sitting down at the kitchen table and sharing a meal together, is a lot of fun.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs boneless beef ribs
4 apples
2 cups apple cider
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or regular vinegar, if you're using apple cider)
4 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Core, peel, and chop your apples into chunks.  Cut apart the ribs (if necessary) and place all of the ingredients in your slow cooker.  Set to "low" and cook for 8-10 hours.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the ribs and apples from the slow-cooker, as you will have a lot of leftover liquid.

OR,

Place the ingredients in a large soup pot and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the ribs are tender (approximately four hours).

VERDICT: I'm used to my beef being spicy, I think, so this came as a bit of a surprise to my taste buds.  That being said, it was pretty dang good for an(other) experiment.  The apple cider vinegar and the lengthy cooking process made the meat so tender it flaked under the fork.  The savory radish dish was the perfect flavor complement to the slightly sweet ribs.