Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

I love this meal, but rarely think to look for short ribs at the grocery store.  The other day I happened to see some beautiful meaty short ribs and picked them up.  With a removable insert for your crockpot, you can easily put this together the night before.  Just remember to pull the insert out of the fridge in the morning and turn your crockpot on low to slow cook these yummies all day.  Coming home to wonderful smells of yumminess coming from my kitchen is one of my favorite ways to end a work day.  My family knows these ribs as "Fighting Ribs", mostly because it's a fight to make sure you get your fair serving...because there isn't likely to be any leftovers.



Port from Trader Joe's

8 Short Ribs or about 4 pounds
Coarse Sea Salt
Lawry's Seasoned Pepper (not the seasoning salt)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 medium white or brown onion, diced
1Ttablespoon freshly minced garlic
2 cups ruby port (Trader Joe's usually has a good price on this)
1 cup Merlot (or any dry red wine, I only use something I would drink in a glass)
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf

1.  Season the short ribs with a sprinkling of the salt and pepper on all sides, gently rubbing the seasoning into the short ribs.

2.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat.  Sear all sides of the ribs and set in your crockpot.  It's a good idea to sear the ribs in two batches.

3.  Pour off all but about one tablespoon of the oil from your skillet.  Add the carrots, celery and onion to the skillet with the 1 tablespoon of oil, cook over med-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

4.  Turn the heat up to high and add the port.  Cook this until the port is reduced by about half.  This will take 10-15 minutes.


Here's what it looks like after the port has reduced.

Here's what it looks like after adding the port.




5.  Next add the dry red wine of your choosing.  Merlot is good, but lately I've been drinking a Meritage blend and I only cook with a wine I would drink...so, that's what I used this time, a blend.   Cork the rest to serve with your meal (or have a glass now).  :)  Oh, yes, and add the chicken broth and bay leaf now, too.  Bring to a boil and continue cooking for about 2 more minutes.

 6.  Pour the wine/veggie mixture over the ribs in your crockpot.  At this point, you can refrigerate it all to cook within the next 2-3 days, or cook now.

Can't you just smell it?  Look at that steam.

7.  I like to cook on low for 8-10 hours, but you can also cook on high for about 5 hours.  Serve over mashed potatoes or hot buttered egg noodles.  Yummy served with a green salad or asparagus and garlic bread.  Also good served with gingered carrots which I will write up next.

Enjoy.