Slow-Cooker Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

By DreiFromBK

Ingredients

• 5 pounds beef short ribs (6 to 8 English-style ribs), trimmed of excess fat (see note)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Minute tapioca
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

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Adequately browning our Slow-Cooker Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs with the bones attached was impossible. Slicing the meat off the bones first allowed the ribs to lie flat in the skillet and also let us trim some of the fat. The bones added a wealth of flavor, so throwing them away was not an option. Microwaving the rib bones before adding them to the slow cooker proved to be a faster, less complicated alternative to roasting them.

Because the slow cooker did not allow for evaporation, we reduced the red wine on the stovetop to concentrate the flavor before adding it to the slow cooker. Many Slow-Cooker Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs recipes we tested suffered from soupy sauce. However, we steered clear of traditional thickeners like flour and cornstarch and settled on an unconventional ingredient—tapioca.

Pat meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook meat until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker.

Cook onions, carrot, and celery in now-empty skillet over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and thyme and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in wine and vinegar and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, tapioca, and bay leaves and return to boil. Transfer to slow cooker.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low until meat is fork-tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 to 5 hours). Transfer meat to serving platter. Strain and defat cooking liquid and discard solids. Stir parsley into sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour 1 cup sauce over meat. Serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

Microwave the bones for 10 to 15 minutes and add them to the slow cooker to add rich, roasted flavor.