Crockpot Sweet & Sour Pomegranate Short Ribs with Creamy Mascarpone Polenta
Try this Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Short Ribs with Creamy Mascarpone Polenta recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Short Ribs with Creamy Mascarpone Polenta recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups milk
- 2-4 tablespoons butter (your preference)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 3 pounds beef short ribs
- good pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 large onion sliced very thin
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 4 carrots chopped (peel if desired)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar divided
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- the arils from one pomegranate plus more for garnish
- 1 cup polenta (i used bob's red mill)
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
- Carbohydrate 47.8627130446257 g
- Cholesterol 741.320469670144 mg
- Fat 173.796720181696 g
- Fiber 8.1104259189858 g
- Protein 195.612747643743 g
- Saturated Fat 60.77747646344 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (depending on how meaty your ribs are) (1649g)
- Sodium 814.652846322468 mg
- Sugar 39.7522871256398 g
- Trans Fat 18.6847950422817 g
- Calories 2557 calories
Step-by-step
- The night before or the morning of, heat a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high-heat and add the olive oil. Add the ribs to the skillet and sprinkle with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Sear the ribs on all sides for about 1 minute per side. Remove the ribs and place them in the crockpot bowl.
- To the bowl add the onion, garlic and carrots. Sprinkle the brown sugar over everything and then add the pomegranate juice, soy sauce, thyme, rosemary, cayenne and parsley. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils over top. Cover and cook for about 8 hours on low (5-6 on high), or until meat is falling off the bone. If you can, rotate short ribs once or twice during cooking. During the last 30 minutes of cooking remove the lid and crank the crockpot to high to let the sauce thicken up a bit.
- Meanwhile, make the polenta. Pour the chicken broth and milk into a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep warm and then just before serving, stir in the mascarpone cheese and butter, season with salt and pepper. If the polenta seems a little thick you can add a tablespoon of butter or extra milk.
- Serve the ribs atop a bed of polenta and spoon the sauce overtop the ribs. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds.
Deep crimson pomegranate juices reduce into a glossy, tangy glaze over meltingly tender beef, while rich mascarpone polenta provides a velvety, corn-scented base beneath. Achieving this texture relies entirely on the initial sear, a crucial physical transformation where the Maillard reaction builds deep savory notes that withstand eight hours of humid slow cooking. When searing three pounds of beef short ribs in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, leave them completely undisturbed for a full minute per side to ensure a proper crust forms without tearing the muscle fibers. Without this caramelization step, long braises often taste flat and muddy rather than deeply dimensional. Fresh pomegranate arils deliver a bright, tart crunch that cuts through the rich dairy in the polenta, whereas bottled juices or dried seeds lack the vibrant malic acid needed to balance the heavy brown sugar quantities in the braising liquid. Whisking the polenta slowly into boiling dairy prevents starch granules from clumping into dense, unpleasant pockets.
