“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” G. B. Shaw
Crockpot Braised Short Ribs
One of my closest friends, Jerry Cargill, raises and markets grass-fed, grain-finished beef on his East Texas ranch, Cargill Cattle Company. Recently Jerry surprised me with several large freezer boxes of choice beef cuts and as I was packing them into my freezer I noticed several packages of Beef Short Ribs. I've enjoyed Braised Beef Short Ribs several times in restaurants but I had never attempted to cook them, until now.....
This recipe has been a real educational experience for me because I learned that there can be a number of Beef Short Ribs and some are not even true ribs: it all depends on the cut of beef (i.e. where on the cow it comes from) and the way it is cut (i.e. how the butcher cuts it)! Yes, it has been a learning experience and with some frustrations. Rather than smothering you with a lot of confusing "butcher shop" information, let me simplify things by using this scenario. If you go to an upper-scale restaurant and pay a premium for their "braised beef short rib" and it comes to your table as a near-perfect 8-16 ounce rectangular block of pure goodness and no bone, then chances are that you're dining on a cut of "chuck flap" which, although rich in flavor and wonderfully well-marbled, is not a true "beef short rib." Please don't misunderstand, there is absolutely nothing wrong with braised beef chuck flap when it is braised, slow-cooked and presented as a beef short rib, or a boneless beef short rib, or a Denver steak ... they are all mouth-watering delicious! My recipe uses a true beef short rib which is bone-in, less meaty and often fatty and that's why it is less expensive. Cooked properly and de-fatted, it is every bit as good but not as meaty as the boneless chuck flap. End of lesson, end of confusion and hopefully you now see why I was frustrated.
This recipe will provide great, satisfying results if you braise the meat and then slow-cook it in a crockpot or a large cast-iron pot in your oven or even using the Sous Vide method; although it is certainly possible, I do not recommend wood smoking this recipe.
Although I made a number of changes, this recipe was inspired by and adapted from Slow Cooker Short Ribs by Joanne at fifteenSPATULAS.com.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Assemble the ingredients. Spray the crockpot liner with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
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After patting the short ribs dry with a paper towel, sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
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In a large cast-iron Dutch oven or similar high-sided sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat. Using tongs, carefully place the ribs into the oil and braise them on each side until brown ... about 7 to 8 minutes total. Depending on the number and size of the ribs, you may have to do this in two batches.
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Once browned and again using the tongs, carefully remove the ribs from the hot oil and place them on a plate. Set aside.
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Reduce the heat to the pan to medium. Add the chopped shallot, the halved baby carrots, the chopped celery, the sliced mushrooms, the Balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and the soy sauce. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the mushrooms and veggies are tender.
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Add the wine, the beef broth, the tomato paste, honey, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes and then turn off the heat.
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Carefully transfer the contents of the pan into the crockpot liner; nestle the short ribs into the veggie mixture submerging them as best you can. You do not need to remove the lid and/or stir the contents until the entire cooking time is completed.
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Cook on low for 7 hours. By this time, the bones should have separated from the meat and most of the fat dissolved. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaf, the bones and any inedible solids; use a spoon to skim off the fat on the surface. At this point you need to decide if you want to serve as is or do you want to thicken the sauce into a gravy and serve with that. If the latter, i.e. the gravy, see Instructions for gravy. Otherwise, ladle the meaty mixture over mashed potatoes or rice or the side of your choice and enjoy!
Instructions for Gravy
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Once the ribs are done, use a spoon to skim the fat off the surface. Using a colander to capture the solids, strain all the liquid into a sauté pan and place the solids back into the crockpot. Begin heating the liquid in the pan. Using a jar, combine 3 tablespoons of flour with 5 tablespoons of cold water; screw the lid on the jar and shake the contents until well combined. The results is called a slurry. Bring the liquid in the pan to a low boil and while stirring with a whisk, slowly pour the slurry into the boiling liquid. Continue stirring and it should thicken into a medium thick gravy in 2 -4 minutes. Return the gravy to the crockpot and serve.
Serving Size 1 1/4 cups
Servings 3
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 426kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 20g31%
- Saturated Fat 5g25%
- Cholesterol 100mg34%
- Sodium 1242mg52%
- Potassium 226mg7%
- Total Carbohydrate 16g6%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 12g
- Protein 35g70%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Defining the nutritional value of this recipe and the edible content of a serving was a real challenge if not near impossible. You cannot believe or trust the label information on the package (or, at least, you shouldn't). Because of the lean edible meat content, the fat content, and the bone content of each beef short rib; I am convinced that no two are the same and definitely DO NOT have the same nutritional value. After some trial & error and studying numerous online discussion forums I opted to use the recommended method of weighing the short rib after it was braised and then save all the waste (i.e. the bone, the fat, other inedible pieces). Then, weigh the waste and subtract that weight from the weight of the braised short rib and the results is the weight of the edible meat which you should be able to find on most any decent online nutritional calculator. I suggest you search using "choice beef chuck." Obviously, this will only give you an approximate figure but it should suffice if you are counting your calories (and other values) like I am.
A true bone-in beef short rib is typically extremely fatty so you must use a "de-fatting" step after cooking and before serving or making the gravy. I apparently did a poor job skimming the fat per the photographs although the taste wasn't affected. Regardless, I will improve my de-fatting skills next time and provide new photos when available.
This recipe will be successful if you follow three simple but vital directions: first, the meat MUST be seasoned & braised before being cooked ... second, the braised meat SHOULD be slow cooked in a crockpot, or a large covered pot (preferably cast-iron) in the oven, or by using the Sous Vide method ... and third, after cooking, you MUST de-fat the results by using a spoon to skim off the grease before making the gravy and/or serving.
If you are a big gravy-lover like I am then you might want to double the amount of wine and beef broth in Step 6 of the Instructions and possibly you will need to double the amount of the flour-water slurry in the gravy instructions.
