Short ribs are a traditional cut of meat in Asian cooking. They’re cheap and, thanks to all that collagen and cartilage (the good stuff in bone broth!) they’re super nutritious as well! Before I went Paleo, I absolutely loved Korean short ribs. But since I know they’re often made with soy sauce and other questionable ingredients, I wanted to create my own recipe. Instead, I rely on fish sauce and coconut aminos to achieve that traditional umami flavor.
Even though they are one of my favorite cuts of meat, I’ll admit short ribs can be a bit intimidating! They need to be cooked low and slow—unless you have a pressure cooker, that is! This preparation relies on two tried-and-true methods to build flavor and achieve a fabulous, fall-off-the-bone result. First, you’ll sear the short ribs in the oven (you could also do this in batches with the sear function of your Instant Pot), then cook them in your Instant Pot or other pressure cooker until they’re incredibly tender!
Aside: If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, put it on your Christmas list this year (or birthday list or whatever wish list will get this on your kitchen counter the soonest!)! It’s an incredibly useful kitchen tool that is both slow cooker and uber safe pressure cooker. I’ve used mine to make a variety of pot roasts, to cook any tougher cut of meat from cheek to chuck, to make broth in a quarter the amount of time that it takes on the stovetop, to make soups and stews, to braise tough greens like collards, to make rice (ssshhh, don’t call the Paleo Police!), and even to make yogurt! And I don’t even think I’m particularly creative when it comes to using my Instant Pot! I’ve seen amazing recipes out there that really use this kitchen tool to its full potential! I especially love the pressure cooker function though because it’s such a hands-off way of making a quick and delicious meal, even when my meat is still frozen! Note that you can use any pressure cooker for this recipe though.
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If you prefer, cook these short ribs in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours (add a little extra broth to make sure ribs are completely covered and top up with broth if liquid gets too low).
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Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 1/2 hours
Serves: 5-8
Ingredients:
- 6 lbs English style beef short ribs
- 2 tsp salt or truffle salt
- 1 pear, cubed chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cloves smashed
- 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (omit for AIP)
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 cup of broth (beef or chicken)
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
Directions:
- Preheat broiler on high.
- Pat short ribs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt or truffle salt all over short ribs.
- Place short ribs on baking sheet in the oven and broil until starting to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side as well.
- Meanwhile, combine pear, garlic, ginger, scallions, fish sauce, sesame oil coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, honey, broth and lime juice in a blender. Blend to form a smooth puree.
- Place the browned short ribs in the bottom of the Instant Pot, packing tightly.
- Pour the puree over the short ribs.
- Cook on high pressure for 2 hours.
- Once your Instant Pot has depressurized (you can hurry this up by opening the valve), remove short ribs from pressure cooker and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, simmer the remaining liquid until it is reduced by half (or even three quarters for an even more flavorful au jus) using the saute function on the Instant Pot.
- Pour au jus over short ribs, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy!
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Why brown under the broiler rather than using the saute function of the instant pot?
I was thinking the same thing! I love the Instant Pot for this function — sear the meat, soften the veggies, then throw them all together in one pot. Saves so much time and clean-up!
I find it gets a little more browned that way, but if you like the saute function, then go for it! Either should work.
Will a crock pot work as well?
Yes! There are instructions for the slow cooker in the post text.
Just wondering about the quantity of salt and, the use of salt as well as fish salt. I’m told by my Asian friends that fish salt, soy sauce, hoisin, tamari are all salt options in their culture. (I admit they’re not all AIP options) but…. Why use so much salt? I was also taught that the flavour we think we’re getting by using salt in the early stages of long slow cooking disappear from our taste buds leading us to over salt in the end.
I’m clearly confused and looking for guidance .
Sarah discusses why you don’t need to worry so much about the quantity of salt consumed in her post Is Salt Paleo? -Kiersten
Your recipe says to cook in the Instant Pot for 2 hours, which is significantly longer than any other short rib recipe I have seen. Is this correct?
I’m wondering the same thing. did you ever get an answer?
Yes, 2 hours is correct. Short ribs really need to be cooked low and slow (well, slow relative to other instant pot recipes) to get nice and tender. If you find that cooking it for less time works for you though, then go for it! -Kiersten
I had 3lbs but kept the sauce the same. I used the meat/stew setting as recommended on another recipe and it was perfect! I didn’t have sesame oil so I omitted that but I think next time I would add maybe a tsp of Chinese 5 spice and I would have liked a stronger flavor. I also added tapioca starch to thicken the gravy at the end. Everyone gobbled it up! Thanks!
I followed the recipe to the T. I ended up with very tender but nearly tasteless ribs? I was expecting spicy and flavorful. Any ideas of what went wrong?
I don’t know what to tell you. If you followed the recipe exactly, you should have ended up with really flavorful short ribs. Even without topping everything with the extra sauce I’ve ended up with incredibly flavorful meat. Sorry. -Kiersten
I love this recipe and will make it often. Used shallots instead of green onions as it was all I had. Tender and flavorful. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it! -Kiersten