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Braised beef short ribs with mushrooms and chives served over mashed potatoes

Crock Pot Short Ribs (Fall-Off-The-Bone & Rich)

Bone-in beef short ribs seared until browned, then slow-cooked in a rich red-wine sauce with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and bay until fall-off-the-bone tender. Served over mashed potatoes with the glossy braising sauce spooned over the top.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 to 3½ lbs bone-in beef short ribs
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 carrots peeled and cut into thick rounds
  • 2 celery stalks sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
  • 1½ cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water optional, to thicken
  • Chopped fresh parsley or chives to serve

Method
 

  1. Pat the short ribs dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned, then transfer to the slow cooker.
  3. In the same skillet, cook the onion, carrots and celery for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion softens.
  4. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Pour in the red wine, scrape up the browned bits from the pan, and let it bubble for 2 minutes.
  6. Pour the wine and vegetables over the ribs. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves.
  7. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
  8. Remove the ribs and keep warm. Strain the sauce into a saucepan, skim the fat, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry if a thicker sauce is wanted, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until glossy.
  9. Serve the ribs over mashed potatoes with the sauce spooned over the top, scattered with parsley or chives.

Notes

  • Do not skip the sear — the browned crust is where most of the flavor comes from.
  • No wine? Use extra beef broth plus 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar instead.
  • Boneless short ribs work too; check them about an hour earlier.
  • Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge in their sauce, or freeze up to 3 months.