Instant Pot Beef Ribs and Chinese Air-Fried Cauliflower Rice

These ribs are made by braising them in sauce in the instant pot, before finishing them off in the air fryer. 

The cauliflower rice is made the same way. 

If you don’t feel like going through the trouble of making the chipotle sauce, you could use any store bought jarred sauce or marinade. 

I used the GoWise pressure cooker, even though I referred to it as an instant pot. Follow your own pressure cookers instructions over mine.

Ingredients for the ribs:

• 4 pounds of beef ribs 
• 7 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. 
• 16 oz jar Mezzetta fire roasted bell pepper strips. 
• 1/8 tsp cumin. 
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon. 
• 1 tbsp dry oregano. 
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder.
• 1 tbsp onion powder.
• The juice from 1 lemon. 
• 1 tbsp of duck or beef fat per serving when reheating in the fryer. 

Ingredients for the cauliflower rice:

• 1 pound cauliflower rice per person (frozen is okay. Also it will shrink a lot in the airfryer, so that’s the reason for the quantity).
• 1 cloves of minced garlic per person 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce per person 
• 1 tbsp white cooking wine per person 
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil per person (never Spectrum)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar per person
• 1 tbsp honey* per person
• 1 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce per person  
• 1/2 tbsp duck or beef fat per person. 
• 1 tbsp good butter per person 
• Salt and pepper to taste. 

Directions for the ribs:

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, combine the chipotle peppers, roasted red peppers with brine, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, cinnamon and cumin. 
2. Blend until combined. 
3. Transfer to instant pot and top with ribs that have been rinsed under the tap. 
4. Place the lid on the instant pot, and make sure it’s closed. 
5. Turn the pressure valve to “sealed “. 
6. Cook on high pressure on the beef/stew setting, or manual (high) for 40 minutes. 
7. Release the pressure. 
8. Turn off the instant pot. 
9. Remove the ribs from the sauce, and scoop off any excess sauce as best you can. Not super important. And if the bone falls off, that’s okay too, you don’t need it.
10. When ready to airfry, baste them with duck or beef fat (melt it first, if necessary)
11. Place them on the metal tray that’s made for the airfryer (comes with it). Only airfry as many as you want to eat right now. Store the rest in the fridge to be airfried on subsequent nights.
12. cook the ribs in the airfryer on the “airfry” setting (or 400°) for 7 minutes. 

Directions for the cauliflower rice:

1. Add all of the ingredients for the cauliflower rice to the instant pot, except for the butter, fat, salt and pepper.
2. Make sure the lid is closed, and the valve is set to “sealed.”
3. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes, or use the vegetable setting. 
4. Release the pressure safely, as per your pressure cookers instructions. 
5. Stir the cauliflower rice, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the rice to a bowl. (Only do this for up to 2 servings at a time, because we’re about to airfry it, and that’s all you can airfry at a time).
6. Toss the cauliflower rice in melted butter and beef fat, and salt and pepper. 
7. Transfer it to the steamer bowl that came with the instant pot (see photos).
8. Sit steamer inside of air fryer and cook on “airfry” (or 400°) for 7 minutes. 

The leftover sauce can be served cold as a salsa. I think it would be good blended with equal parts of fresh tomatoes with 1 bunch of cilantro. 

For chips, you could use parm crisps, or just serve the salsa over eggs. 

*Honey isn’t keto - I mean, anything is keto if it fits within your particular macros - but since you use a slotted spoon to scoop out the cauliflower rice, it mostly stays behind.