Asian Short Rib Wonton Tacos

I read a lot of recipes.  Cookbooks, blogs, magazines....you name it.  Recipes draw my attention.  I'm always on the lookout for something yummy and interesting to make.  It has always been this way for me.  Since I discovered the world of blogging, that has only increased.  I have a huge list of things that I want to try.  

Beef Short Ribs have been on the list for awhile.   When I ran into a deal on them locally,  I had originally thought that I would slow cook them with fresh herbs and red wine.  On the day that I planned to make them, I just wasn't feeling that at all.   I had been thinking about Asian food since Carol shared her Korean Steak Tacos here. 

I, also, remembered that Jenn at Jenn's Food Journey had shared an Asian inspired recipe here using short ribs so that would be perfect.   Why not combine the two, right?  

So I began by mixing together:

2 tsp. kosher salt
3 tsp. ground white pepper
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
3/8 tsp. garlic powder
3/8 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. onion powder
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 Tbsp. Sriracha

I rubbed this mixture on 2 lbs. of trimmed beef short ribs, coating them completely, and stuck them in the fridge to get happy overnight.   The next morning, I placed the ribs in the bottom of my crockpot.   I took 1/2 cup pineapple juice and mixed it with 1/2 cup Sake.  I poured this over the top of the ribs and set the timer for 8 hours.  My poor family had to smell this cooking all day while I was at work.  When I got home, it smelled amazing in here.

I was unable to find my favorite broccoli slaw at any of the local markets so I settled for a package of ready made coleslaw.  Mixed up with some Newman's Own Lite Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing and some chopped cilantro, it was the perfect accompaniment for the spicy beef. 

David and Connor couldn't wait for dinner so they had their tacos wrapped in corn tortillas.  That seemed a little plain to me.  I had been thinking all day about those amazing Wonton Tacos from Applebees.   They are positively addictive little treats, in my opinion, and  I thought I could recreate something along those lines with the beef that was cooking away at home.  I just so happened to have some wonton skins left over from my Inside Out Pork Dumplings so it was the perfect time to give that a try!  

I sprayed the wonton skins lightly with canola oil, draped them over the side of a baking dish to form a taco shell and baked them until they were crispy.  It only took a few minutes for that to happen.  

a little shredded beef.....

a little cabbage slaw with dressing....

a little cilantro on top....

a squeeze of fresh lime....

Yum!

The wonton shells were definitely not as good as they would have been if I had fried them.  They were pretty good though and it made for a nice dinner treat.   I took leftovers of the meat and the slaw to work the next day all wrapped up in a Weight Watchers Tortilla and I have to say that was even more tasty than the tacos.

Thanks Jenn and Carol and Applebees for the inspiration!  We will be having these again, I'm sure.  As cute as they were, I just don't think I will be bothering with the wonton taco shells next time.