Beef Short Rib Sliders

Short rib sliders with spicy slaw are the perfect make-ahead dishes for any party.

You can make these on the smoker like we did or in the crock pot! I include both method instructions below.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: food is the best thing about football season.

For years, that’s all we had as Buccaneers fans…Our tailgates! We never gave up on our team but it’s tough to watch your team lose on an empty stomach. 

Our friend, John, each season makes a tailgate game menu based on the home game schedule. We all would cook something that matches the theme. 

For example, when we play the Saints, our tailgate is New Orleans food theme- jambalaya, cajun chicken wings and so on. 

The best game-day eats are ones that are easily assembled and eaten whether you’re parked on the couch or tailgating outside the stadium! 

These short rib sliders are perfect for that – compact and easy to eat. Tender, fall-apart shredded short ribs piled on toasted sweet Hawaiian rolls and topped with cheddar, onion rings, & Spicy and Sweet Coleslaw – they’re so full of flavor, I promise, they will be a huge hit. 

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Ingredients

Short Ribs

• 2 pounds beef short ribs
• 1 teaspoon paprika 
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and Black pepper

Barbecue Sauce

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cheddar Cheese

Sweet Hawaiian Rolls

Instructions

Crockpot Method

Season the ribs with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. 

Transfer the ribs to a slow cooker combine the short ribs, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, brown sugar, ketchup,, mustard, Worcestershire, vinegar, and 1 cup water. Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours until the ribs are tender and falling apart. Use two forks to shred up the meat.

Big Green Egg Method

Scatter hickory chips over the preheated charcoal. Using mitts, place the grid in the EGG.

Place the ribs on the grilling grate bone side down and let smoke for an hour before checking

Look to see if the rib surface is drying out and spray with a mist of water (you can use a mix with cider vinegar if you wish)

After 3 hours in the smoke the meat should measure 165° and it is time to wrap

Place the ribs in an aluminum pan with 1 cup of red wine (or beef broth) and seal with foil

Let this cook for another 2-3 hours until the meat is probe tender and measures 204°

Wrap and place in cooler for another 1-2 hours

While the beef is in the cooking make the sauce. If you are doing the crockpot method, then the sauce is already in the crockpot so you can skip this step. 

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium saucepan situated over medium heat. Allow to come to a bubble and then reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. 

Serve immediately or allow to cool slightly and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Assemble the sliders

Place the cheese and beef on one side of the roll and top with my Spicy & Sweet coleslaw.

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Festive Italian Dip

Creamy, spicy, addictive sausage dip that takes just minutes to throw together.

This dip is so good, it will be the hit of the party! Honestly you can even serve this dip mixed with pasta and have a hearty pasta dinner! There is so much packed into this dip, from the spicy Italian sausage to the gooey cream cheese!

The base for this dip is Hot Italian sausage. Don’t worry if spicy food isn’t your thing, this sausage honestly isn’t very spicy, it adds a nice flavor punch. Plus, paired with the cream cheese, it all balances out perfectly. I started by cooking the sausage in a large skillet. Once the sausage was cooked, I transferred it to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up some of the grease. Cutting out some extra fat. 

Next, I wiped the same skillet clean, getting rid of some of the sausage grease but not all of it. Sauté up some onions, red peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Oh and add in a little Italian seasoning for good measure. And don’t forget the… WINE! I used Scout and Cellar Field House Chardonnay. It adds a zesty flavor!

Roughly chop up some baby spinach, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Honestly I just grab a handful from the bag, throw it on the cutting board and run my knife over it a few times, making sure there are no huge pieces. I used the whole 6 ounce bag of baby spinach. 

Then grab the cream cheese. I cut mine into four squares so it melts quickly. Make sure to grab the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese too. Add all that cheese right into the skillet and stir. 

At this point I strongly encourage you to grab a spoon and taste! Mmmmmm!

Now, pour the mixture in a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more cheese on top, cover the whole top!

Bake it to perfection until the cheese is golden brown and the sides are bubbly. Your kitchen will smell like heaven! Serve with a baguette or crackers.

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So let’s get cooking! 

Ingredients 

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 pound hot Italian ground sausage
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1 6-oz package fresh spinach, rough chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees. 

In a bowl, mix together the two cheeses and set aside. 

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. 

Using a paper towel, wipe the skillet clean and saute the onions and red pepper in the same skillet, for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. 

Stir in tomatoes, and Italian seasoning; cook for 1 minute. 

Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet and stir to combine, cook together for 2 minutes. 

Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid has almost completely evaporated.

Stir in spinach and salt, and cook for 2 minutes or until spinach is slightly wilted. 

Reduce heat to medium; add cream cheese and 1 cup of the shredded cheese mixture. 

Cook and stir mixture until cheese is melted.

Pour mixture into a 2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with the rest of the cheeses.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or cheese is bubbly and golden brown. 

Serve with crostini or crackers.

http://www.scoutandcellar.com/whiskawaykitchen.