Do you remember in the fall when pumpkin forces itself into everything that we do? Pumpkin coffee, soup, muffins, muffin tops. It’s everywhere, so much so that we never get to celebrate the unsung autumnal spice, cinnamon.
Whilst checking out my YouTube subscriptions on Sunday morning, I spotted a video that detailed how to make “Cinnamon-Infused Short Ribs” in the crockpot, and the dinner menu was immediately decided upon.
After a survey on the pantry, my lady friend and I ventured to the supermarket.. We were in-and-out for several ingredients, but I was quickly reminded that Sunday morning is not the best time to visit the grocery store, but a great time to people watch. As I watched couples debate whether the low-sodium tomato sauce versus the regular, or the “Buy 4 Get 2” deals, I was reminded that shopping for food tends to be infuriating or emasculating event. Our culture of calories and cents means we shop for food as a simple commodity, but consume it for reward and pleasure. We fail to consider how food makes us feel, and remain ignorant of how habits and emotions govern our eating. It’s as if we’re so far down the analytical rabbit hole that we can’t see how simple things are when we take a step back.
Alas, it was time to cook.
The makings of a good meal were in our cart, and the Death Star crockpot turned on its tractor beam. Meat was salted, tomatoes were sliced, onions were diced, and garlic was minced. (Full discloser, I had to look up the differences between those.) Into the crock they went. Here’s the total ingredient list:
The video was posted on the CrossFit YouTube channel and features Nick Massie from PaleoNick.com, and was balanced according to the principles of the Zone Diet. Ironically, these are three things that make me raise a skeptical eyebrow in regards to the zealotry found in those cultures, but alas I’m a zealot for good food. Furthermore, I’d be curious to find anyone that has a legitimate issue with steak, butternut squash, onions, tomatoes, or garlic.
Let me note that we used chuck instead of true short ribs. This was quite exciting for me, because it’s next to impossible for me to prepare red meat without thinking about the muscles themselves. Sarcomeres are sarcomeres, baby!
I’ll also suggest rounding up to the longer cook time, as well as double checking that your crockpot is large enough for all of this food. It’s a whole lot. Here’s the full video:
Do I know what our actual serving sizes were? Nope. Do I know that it was delicious? Hell yes I do! We ate it with roasted asparagus, some fresh bread, and big smiles. (That’s the most important part of a meal, right?) I may fancy myself a cook on occasion, but much prefer the crockpot for simplifying the satiating process. High-five to the inventer!
The prep on this meal was 20 minutes tops, and after ~4 hours in the crockpot, it was delicious. Maggie’s sister remarked that it smelled like fall due to the cinnamon, and the subtle spiciness was perfect. As I sit here and eat some leftovers for dinner, I swear to you: This one is going to be GOOD! Check it out and let me know.
Harold Gibbons 