Short Ribs and Red Wine Sauce

By Thom7747

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen's, Slow Cooker Revolution, page 170. Why This Recipe Works: The classic pairing of short ribs and red wine sauce struck us as the perfect basis for a slow-cooker pasta sauce. Here boneless short ribs are cooked until tender and shreddable in a rich red wine—based sauce. To build our sauce we first sautéed aromatics (onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and tomato paste), then deglazed the pan with a healthy dose of red wine, reducing it down to concentrate its flavor and evaporate any unwanted liquid. To further complement the rich flavor of the meat and wine, we stirred diced tomatoes and tomato puree into the slow cooker, which gave our sauce just the right body and flavor. After cooking we simply shredded the meat and stirred in some parsley before serving the sauce over our favorite pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce for 3 pounds of pasta.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 celery rib, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until thickened, about 6 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
2. Stir diced tomatoes, tomato puree, and bay leaves into slow cooker. Season beef with salt and pepper and nestle into the slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.
3. Let sauce settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Discard bay leaves. Break up pieces of beef with spoon. Before serving, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

On the Side: Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, and Walnuts
Fry 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons, in 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes; drain on paper towels. Microwave 1/2 cup dried figs, stemmed and chopped, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and 1 tablespoon honey together in covered bowl until figs are plump, about 30 seconds. Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small minced shallot, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and let cool. Toss fig dressing with 5 ounces arugula and sprinkle with crisp prosciutto, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, and shaved parmesan. Serves 6 to 8. (Recipe can be doubled to serve 12 to 14.