Short ribs sound like a commitment to staying in the kitchen. I suppose you are right, it would be something I would have gone and said, all that cooking time and to have dried out meat potentially. Then I wondered how my good old Wonderbag could handle this kind of recipe? My Wonderbag, my family, calls the giant shower cap, dog bed, and bean bag has been pretty handy in my pinch to make something that did not need electricity. The first experience I was required to cook a large amount of chili for a tailgate and not to want to pack a grill. Too lazy to look for an electrical cord to run in the car for a crockpot I decided the Wonderbag was coming to the rescue. AND IT DID. Chili was brought to a boil and tucked in the bag and sat in the car through traveling to a homecoming parade, family day festivities to tailgate a whole 5 hours later and the chili was still PIPING HOT. Then they didn’t joke about my silly bean bag, it became the best money spent.
The second time I used it for a cooler. Yep, needed to keep a Margarita Key Lime Pie chill in the July heat for a picnic without melting and HOT DAMN it worked. So, I decided to dive deep and figure out what else I can do. Like Pomegranate Cabernet Short Ribs. Yes, I know you are drooling at the bit aren’t you? But this is all critical information you need to digest to understand how revolutionary this cooking device is!
Okay, we’ve covered how awesome it is for chili to slow cook for tailgating. Foil wrapped potatoes for dinner and even great for proofing bread, but you might wonder how can it really cook?
This bag is revolutionary to an old concept. Retention heating or thermal cooking or Haybox cooking has been done for a very very long time. It works like this. You cook your food to boiling, set the covered pot in the thermal insulated bag, zip lined shut for as long as the recipe says. It has been proven to cook for up to 12 hours. What else can it do??
How about cooking some fresh oats for a crowd at breakfast. Yep, cook it all night, and you are good to hit the slopes.
Using the Wonderbag can be extra important in different environments like on a boat galley or camping where the need to use less fuel is necessary.
“The Wonderbag was used by the Arctic Jubilee Expedition 2012. Using only the expeditions ultra- lightweight camping stove and even when cooking in temperatures of minus 6° C, the food was still hot and cooking after 4 hours!”
If you need a scientific engineering perspective read this link on the Wonderbag being used (I find the more information, the more helpful.)
Other fantastic ways to use, that Midwest & Grassfed can attest to:
- Keep your refrigerated cream pies chilled without taking up your precious refrigerator space
- Keep beverages or picnic fare cold during the warm summer months
- Make super fancy ricotta with our homemade Ricotta Recipe
- Cook dry beans or rice in no time
More recipes to try:
- Chili
- Soups like Midwest Grassfed Rustic Stew
- Gumbo
- Carnitas
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Curries
- Ham and Beans
- POMEGRANATE CABERNET SHORT RIBS
What we love about the Wonderbag is its rich history of helping African women have jobs, be able to cook for their families without risk of fires, chances of being raped while collecting firewood for cooking and assisting in the deforestation issues. Even better the Wonderbag was created, developed by a wonder WOMAN named Sarah Collins in Cape Town, South Africa. She says:
Every time a Wonderbag is sold by us, one is given by Wonderbag to a South African family to help lessen their poverty. The Wonderbag is already in over 150,000 African homes, cutting the average family’s fuel usage by around 30% and helping to save them money, ease their poverty and reduce harmful global carbon emissions.
Isn’t that a small wonderful world?
Besides an awesome recipe…
On the 11th day of Christmas, MW+GF gives away to thee…
A chance to win a Wonderbag in time for under the tree!
Yep, I love this bag so much I am GIVING AWAY one on INSTAGRAM. Go to Instagram @lisacarolsprague and see our latest post on how to enter giveaway.
NOW, YOU CAN HAVE THE RECIPE 😉
Print
Pomegranate Cabernet Short Ribs
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Method: Wonderbag
Description
This recipe has been adapted to the Wonderbag cooking method. However, you can finish the recipe in the oven at 325 degrees F for 3 hours.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. short ribs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon wine
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- Fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
Place short ribs on a cutting board and sprinkle all sides with salt and black pepper along with 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Rub to coat. Set aside.
Heat dutch oven on the stove top to medium-high heat. Then add oil to the pot and wait two minutes till oil is hot. Sear short ribs for one minute on each side. Remove short ribs and set aside.
Add to the dutch oven the quartered onion, garlic, pomegranate juice, wine, beef broth, rosemary, thyme, and red cayenne pepper. Stir and bring back the short ribs to liquid and bring to a steady boil.
Cover pot and remove from heat. Place immediately onto a trivet inside your Wonderbag. Place pillow top on and cinch the tie tight to enclose pot securely.
Keep the pot on a steady surface for it to continue cooking for four to five hours more.
How did I spend my 4 hours? I went Christmas shopping, grocery shopping and wrote this blog!
An hour before your ribs are done start considering your sides. I served this on rosemary mashed potatoes alongside salad greens and of course, a glass of cabernet sauvignon.
When your sides are ready, then remove the pot from Wonderbag. Place short ribs onto a platter covered with tin foil while you reduce the liquid for the sauce.
Put dutch oven back on stove top and bring the liquid to a simmer for 10 minutes to reduce. Ladle a 1/4 cup liquid to a mug with 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch and make a roux. Add the roux to the simmering liquid while continually stirring to incorporate when the sauce has thickened stir in one cup of pomegranate seeds.
Place two to three short ribs on top of mashed potatoes and ladle pomegranate sauce over. Garnish with a couple of sprigs of thyme for a festive touch on this stellar easy short rib dinner!
0
This looks fabulous! I just might have to buy a wonder bag. Very cool.
It is versatile!