With today’s nice holiday and day off work, I decide it was the perfect day for this week’s theme, slow cooking. With the day to prep and time to go to the farmer’s market, I decided to do a full southern meal.

I got a crock-pot mac & cheese recipe from a friend at work (thanks David!), a collard greens recipe from food network, and a beef short-rib recipe from Justin (recipes below). This worked out really well cause it can showcase 3 different methods of slow cooking (crock-pot, stove top, and oven), and all with different timings so that I’m not rushed and managing all three at the same time.

Having lived in Atlanta for over 10 years now, I’ve taken quite the shine to southern meals and dishes (and sweet tea!). You don’t get too much of that back in Tampa where I’m from.

First up, some beef short ribs.

Simple prep work of getting them rubbed with the spices and sticking them in the oven. As I let that cook, I prepped my other dishes, and got the sweet tea made, so it would have some time to chill by dinner. Next up, the mac & cheese. I should note that I think the hardest part of slow cooking something is the smell. The whole place will smell so incredible but you know you can’t eat anything til hours later!

This is what I love about the crock-pot. You can put everything in the pot, set it to high or low, and then just walk away. Now I don’t use mine very often (I don’t even remember when or where I got it from!), and the thing is, I should. If I could just get up a little earlier, it would be so easy to set up a meal in it and then a delicious dinner ready for you when you get home from work. I should really work on that!

After the initial baking, the ribs get transferred and back in the oven they go. “Set it and forget it!”…except you have to remember to transfer half way, so set it, forget it for a little while, and then set it again. No? Just my silly humor I suppose.

Last, some collard greens.

Now these may not take as long as the other 3 dishes, but for a vegetable, on a stove top, I consider it quite slow. I also subbed out the ham hock for some country ham. Why? Cause I can!…and I like country ham.

Mmm, Mmm! Good eats!

Collard Greens

Beef Short Ribs

INGREDIENTS

4 lbs Bone-In Beef Short Ribs (cut 2 to 2 1/2 inches thick) 16 oz Lager Beer 2 cups Chicken Stock 2 cups White Balsamic Vinegar 4 tbsp Kosher Salt For Rub 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp Onion Powder 1 tsp Paprika 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander 1 tbsp Kosher Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F 2. Generously rub ribs with rub mixture. 3. Place on a grid and set in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. 4. Mix the beer and chicken stock in a bowl and set aside. 5. When the 1 1/2 hours are up, transfer the ribs to a baking dish. 6. Pour the beer and chick stock mixture over the ribs and cover the dish tightly with foil. 7. Up the heat in the oven to 375 degrees F. and place the ribs back in for 2 1/2 hours.