Slow Cooker Jerked Short Ribs

June. Three months since Danny died. The grief is doing what grief does over time, which is not diminishing but changing shape — moving from the acute and daily into something that lives differently in the body, something that is present without being constant, that rises at unexpected moments and then recedes. I am cooking through it, which is the only processing method I know how to use, and the cooking is working in the sense that the food keeps being good and the family keeps being fed and the table keeps being the table.

Jesse's birthday is coming. July 4th, thirty-two this year. I am thinking about how different it will be without Danny in the lawn chair. I am also thinking about how it will be the same: same table, same family, same fry bread, same ribs, same Oklahoma July heat. The same things that were the birthday before Danny was sick and during and after. The traditions hold. That is what they are for.

Caleb asked me last Sunday if he could have Danny's recliner. Not the one from the living room — Danny had a specific recliner in the kitchen area, a piece of furniture that should not have been in the kitchen but was, because Danny wanted to be able to see the stove and talk to Terry while she cooked when his mobility was too limited to stand. The recliner belonged to the kitchen the way Danny belonged to the kitchen. Terry said yes, immediately. Caleb moved it to his apartment. He sent me a picture: the recliner in the corner of his studio, with a lamp beside it and a small rug under it, Danny's corner in Caleb's apartment. I looked at the picture for a long time. Then I put my phone down and went back to the garden, because sometimes you have to go be with something that is growing.

The ribs are always part of Jesse’s birthday — have been since before I can count back to. This year I’m starting them in the slow cooker so the house fills with that jerk-spiced smell all morning, because the smell is part of it too, and I want the day to feel full even where it’s hollow. Something about setting the ribs going early and then walking out to the garden feels right: you start the thing that takes time, and then you go be with the growing things, and by the time the family arrives, the table is already doing its work.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 8 hrs | Total Time: 8 hrs 20 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 1/2 to 4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup beef broth
2 green onions, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Make the jerk paste. In a small bowl, combine garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, allspice, thyme, smoked paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Stir into a rough paste.
Season the ribs. Pat short ribs dry with paper towels. Rub jerk paste all over each rib, coating well on all sides. If time allows, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours to let the flavors penetrate.
Sear for depth. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the ribs 2 to 3 minutes per side until a dark crust forms. Do not crowd the pan. Transfer seared ribs to the slow cooker insert.
Build the base. Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Pour in beef broth and stir briefly, then pour the whole mixture over the ribs in the slow cooker.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone and deeply tender.
Finish and serve. Carefully transfer ribs to a serving platter — they will be very tender. Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid and spoon some of the juices over the top. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow Cooker Jerked Short Ribs — The Birthday Table Holds