Crockpot Red Wine Short Ribs
These fork tender, melt in your mouth crockpot red wine short ribs have quickly become a family favorite. About 15 minutes of prep for a cozy comforting meal that feels almost too fancy to be a weeknight meal, but is surely easy enough! Easy to vary, can cook veggies along with the meat if desired, and freezer friendly! Serve with juices or take a few minutes to make a simple gravy to serve over these short ribs!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Crockpot (6 quart)
Ingredients
- 3½-4 lb bone in 7-9 short ribs boneless will work as well
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt enough to cover all sides of meat
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2½ cups low sodium beef broth
- ¾ cup red wine
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Allow the meat to sit out for about 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. Pat dry and season the short ribs on all sides generously.
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil and allow it to heat up. Add the ribs and sear on all 4 sides for about 1 minute each, working in batches if necessary.
- Add the beef broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar to the crock pot and stir to combine. Place the seared short ribs into the crockpot. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, onion powder, minced garlic cloves and place the thyme and oregano over top.
- Cover and cook the short ribs on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.
- Once the meat is cooked, you can either serve with the juices, or take the juices to make a rich gravy. Remove the fresh herbs, transfer the juices to a small saucepan, using a mesh strainer to remove any small bits.
- Allow the juices to come to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, whisk together cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Pour the mixture slowly into the sauce pan and whisk to combine. Allow the gravy to cook another minute or so, or until desired thickness is reached. Keep in mind, it will thicken more as it cools, so I like to pull it off the heat a bit before it’s where I like it. Serve over top of meat and enjoy!
Notes
Storage: Store leftover meat in juices/gravy for about 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To freeze, allow the meat to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Allow the meat to sit out for about 30 minutes to an hour before searing. This will make for the most even searing.
Make sure the pan you sear the meat in is HOT. This is how you get that nice caramelized browned exterior. If the pan isn't hot enough, you wont' get quite the same texture.
Cook the meat until it begins to fall apart of off the bone. May readers become afraid of overcooking their meat, but it can take extra time to break down the tissue of the meat to allow it to become soft and tender. If it's still tough, it most likely means the ribs need to cook longer.
You can just add the corn starch slurry into the juices in the last half hour or so instead of simmering stove top. We sometimes like just slightly thickened juices or don't want to add another step to the recipe and just whisk the slurry into the slow cooker and let it cook for about 30-45 minutes to thicken a touch.
Nutrition
Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 1105mg | Potassium: 1477mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 29IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 7mg