One of my favorite things to do is take a recipe (that looks awesome!) and make it as easy to cook as possible. So I was excited to see a Braised Short Ribs recipe in Food and Wine Magazine that I knew I could turn into a slow cooker recipe. I absolutely love short ribs. It’s one of my favorite things to order when we’re out, but it’s not something I often think to make at home. If I could make it in my slow cooker though? That would change things! And even though this one appears to be similar to the Beef Bourguignon I posted recently, the flavors are surprisingly different… and oh, so good. Enjoy. :)
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Braised Short Ribs (in your slow cooker!)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds short ribs (beef, bone-in or boneless)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 pieces bacon (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 onion (cut into quarters and then thinly sliced)
- 1 head garlic ((yes, a head – not a clove !), peeled and crushed)
- 4 shallots (peeled and cut into quarters)
- 2 cups red wine
- 1/4 cup ruby port
- 4 cups chicken broth (or beef)
- 2 springs thyme (large stems removed + extra for garnish)
- 1 bay leaf
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Season short ribs with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the short ribs in the olive oil on all sides until brown. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the bacon, onion, garlic, and shallots. Cook while stirring occasionally until the bacon begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine and port and cook until reduced by half, about 5 more minutes. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the broth, thyme, and bay leaf to the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 – 6 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
- Discard the bay leaf and strain the cooking liquid for homemade gravy to pour over top before serving. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.
I am allergic to garlic, but love short ribs. Will this recipe be any good if I leave it out? It seems to be the main source for the flavor of the dish?
Hello. We’ve not tried this recipe without garlic. The full head does add a lot of flavor but you can omit it.
This was very good but next time I’m going to double the meat. It was kind of a lot of work (and a half bottle of wine!) and I felt like we didn’t get that much meat. We had a lot of fat on the cut we used so I will ask the butcher to trim it more next time too.
Do you use nitrate free bacon to count as real food?
Hi there. Lisa occasionally uses Applegate Sunday bacon but does avoid processed meats in general.
I will definitely try this one. I love braised ribs! Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)
We serve them over cheese grits. Because… well, you know… cheese and grits and gravy :)
Any suggestions for a wine substitute, thank you.
Try pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar. Or just regular balsamic vinegar. 100% red Grape juice will work too. Or a mixture of any vinegar and beef broth. There are quite a few alternatives, you just want something acidic like wine. Sorry, I’m not an admin, but I always substitute wine with something else so I thought I’d make suggestions, hope it helps!
I like braised ribs! I never try to use slow cooker to cook ribs! It looks easy to cook. Cant wait to try it tonight by using slow cooker.
Let me know how it goes!