Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Rich, meaty Braised Short Ribs cooked all day long become super tender and melt in your mouth. Suitable for entertaining even the pickiest dinner guests, this is comfort food taken to a higher level. You will never cook short ribs any other way again. It’s easier than you think!

Braised Short Ribs

Sometimes, it’s all about technique, friends. If you take your time you can make something so simple knee-bucklingly sinful. I kid you not. I’ve learned a lot in my many years of cooking but the one thing that has become permanently etched in my brain is you can’t rush flavor. You have to build it….sometimes slowly, patiently, methodically….but epic flavor takes some time.

The rewards are HUGE if you just sit back and let things happen in their own time. I didn’t always have this patience. It was built…over time. Like my Red Wine Braised Short Ribs in the slow cooker.

One of my families favorite comfort foods, Braised Beef Short Ribs are a kind of like a wintery love affair. It’s one of those recipes I make whenever it snows because it’s cozy and makes the whole house smell amazing.

What are Short Ribs?

Beef Short Ribs are a cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of the cattle. They often contain a small part of the rib bone with a big, beefy piece of meat on top.

Because short ribs come from a tougher cut of beef, braising them in liquid like wine or beef stock is necessary to make them tender and melt-in-your-mouth amazing. They soak up flavor like a sponge, too, so it’s fun to play around with the ingredients to amplify the flavor.

How To Make Braised Short Ribs

Slow Cooker Short Ribs is not a recipe you can dump in the slow cooker before you leave for work. You need a Sunday afternoon with a great bottle of wine to pull this together. It’s simple, anyone that has the ability to read can make these short ribs but, again, a lesson in patience comes along with this dish.

1. Season the flour with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the short ribs in the flour to coat on all sides.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
4. Brown the short ribs, working in batches, in the skillet until golden brown and crusty on all sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
5. Add the onions and carrots to the pot cooking until softened.
6. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add the tomato paste and cook until it turns a deep mahogany color, approximately 2-3 minutes.
8. Stir in the red wine, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
9. Place the short ribs in the slow cooker and top with the vegetables.
10. Pour the diced tomatoes and beef broth in the stock pot. 
11. Stir in the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.
12. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

If you don’t have a CrockPot, you can make Red Wine Braised Short Ribs in the oven. Just transfer all the ingredients to a large dutch oven and cook at 350˚F for 2-3 hours.

Before serving, use a ladle to skim the fat from the surface and serve the short ribs with the remaining sauce.

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Pro Tips

• Browning is essential here…brown the short ribs. Don’t skip this step because it really is the foundation for deep, rich flavor without really adding too many ingredients.
• Wine is important here. Use a dry red wine such as a Chianti and choose a wine you would drink on it’s own. The wine flavor will become concentrated so be sure to pick one that’s great straight from a glass.
• Modifications can be made here, if you want to add more vegetables to the mix you can pretty much add any firm vegetable that will hold up to braising like mushrooms, potatoes or parsnips. 

Serving Suggestions

I served the Slow Cooker Braised Beef Short Ribs on Herbed Spaetzle. Spaetzle is a rustic noodle, so simple to make. If you’re not really into the spaetzel you can serve the short ribs over egg noodles or creamy mashed potatoes.  I love them both ways.

More Comfort Food Recipes

If you like these Braised Short Ribs, you should also to these Honey Chipotle Short Ribs.  They’re a little sweet, a little spicy and perfect for game day.

Or give this easy Pot Roast and vegetables a try. It’s simple to make and totally retro classic, make you feel at home comfort food.

• 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
• Chicken Fricassee
• Guinness Beef Stew
• Braised Beef Brisket

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