Braised Beef Short Ribs

8 hours Difficulty: Easy

Categories: Beef Main dishes Recipes

My slow cooker method beef short ribs are practically set & forget!
If you love rich, fatty beef made a pretty lazy way, you’re in for a treat. I had yet to try making short ribs at home because due to popularity in recent years, they had become quite expensive. But now that I have found a decent local source for them, I snap them up when they go on sale.

This braised beef short ribs recipe is 4 steps, and you can omit or add any ingredients you wish, to make it more or less carnivore. My tastes are simple, and I left out the carrots on my first try only because I wanted to use what I had, and I didn’t miss them.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1.5 to 2 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in

Fat for searing

Salt & pepper to taste

Ground rosemary

Thyme sprigs

1 small onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Splash of red wine vinegar

1/2 cup beef broth or water

Optional (to thicken the liquid into gravy)

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or glucomannan powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Season the ribs on both sides with salt & pepper and rosemary to taste. Heat a skillet on high and melt fat. Place the ribs spaced well apart, sear on both sides until slightly charred and well-browned.

2. Remove ribs and place in the slow cooker, reserving a bit of the fat in the pan. For this small batch, I used my very tiny slow cooker which is probably 2-3 quarts.

3. Add the onion and celery to the hot pan and sauté the vegetables until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, and broth to the pan, and using a wooden or silicone utensil, stir to combine, while gently scraping up browned bits from the pan. The acids in the mixture will help deglaze it.

4. Pour the vegetable/broth mixture over the ribs in the slow cooker and add the sprigs of thyme on top. Cook the ribs on HIGH for 5-6 hours, or on LOW for 8-10 hours.

The beef short ribs are done when meat is falling off the bone. Remove the meat to a platter and strain off the vegetables. Serve with the braising liquid or make it into gravy (below)

To make gravy (optional)

Pour off the liquids & cooked vegetables (if you wish) into a heat-safe glass measuring cup or heat-safe bowl with high sides. Dust the xanthan gum or glucomannan powder over the surface and let it set 3-5 minutes. Using a stick blender, blend the ingredients until the mixture emulsifies into a gravy-like consistency. I added extra pepper and a dash of paprika. Serve the gravy with the ribs.

Season the ribs on both sides with salt & pepper and rosemary to taste.