Asian Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Ingredients:
6 lb beef short ribs
3 tbsp oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 c shredded carrot
1/2 c chopped onion
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
6 tsp Chinese black bean sauce
3 tsp chili garlic paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c soy sauce
1 c dry red wine
2 c beef broth
1 tsp 5-spice powder
1 tbsp Splenda (equivalent Sweetzfree: 3 drops)
Guar or xanthan

-In a big, heavy skillet, brown the ribs all over in the oil. Transfer the ribs to your slow cooker.

-Add the celery, carrot, and onion to the skillet and saute over medium high heat until they soften and start to brown. Stir in the ginger, black bean sauce, chili garlic paste, and garlic, and saute for another couple of minutes. Now stir in the soy sauce, wine, broth, five-spice powder, and Splenda. Pour mixture over the ribs. Cover slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6-7 hours.

-When time's up, transfer the ribs to a platter and scoop vegetables into a blender with a slotted spoon. Add 2 cups of the liquid and run the blender until the vegetables are pureed. Thicken the sauce to heavy cream consistency with guar or xanthan and serve the sauce with the ribs.

Yields 12 servings, each serving has:
948 calories
86g fat
35g protein
3g carbs
Trace fiber
3g NET carbs