Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs Will Remind You Why Your Slow Cooker Is Awesome (2024)

FAQs

Are braised short ribs good for you? ›

While the braised short rib makes a high-calorie and high-fat meat choice, it is a good source of a number of essential vitamins and minerals. A 3.5-oz. serving contains 3.2 mg of iron, 12 mg of zinc, 33.5 mcg of selenium and 3.92 mcg of vitamin B12.

Red wine braised short ribs are an impressive and easy comfort food recipe. Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or polenta. So tender!

They earned their name because they contain “short” pieces of rib bones encased in meat. While they offer less meat than steak, they have more meat than other beef rib varieties. Their high fat content is perfect for slow cooking methods. Thanks to their similar body build, you can purchase bison short ribs as well.

Your ribs will be tough either because you didn't cook them long enough, or you cooked them too long at a high setting. If the latter, they will also be dried out. How do I make my beef short ribs tender? For tender beef short ribs, cook them “slow and low.” A slow cooker (Crock Pot) is ideal for this method.

As the fat renders during cooking, it moisturizes and flavors the surrounding meat. The collagen present further enhances the texture, making the meat tender when cooked properly. The taste of short ribs is hearty and meaty.

You want liquid to come about a quarter and no higher than half way up the side of the meat. Because of the curvature of the dino ribs, we'll be cooking them on their sides, so they make a crescent in the pan. Then, of course, you must cook them.

Add some oil to the pan after heating for around 30 seconds. The oil should fully coat the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Immediately after adding oil, add the beef ribs. Place them face down on the meat side (not the bone side).

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

Next, break a rule: You don't need to sear the meat before braising it. Most chefs and home cooks would agree that seared meat has more depth and flavor than meat that's just been simmered in liquid, due to the Maillard reaction that takes place when you apply high heat to protein and create browning.

These ribs are chunky, with plenty of meat surrounding the bones and dense fat marbling throughout. This flavoursome fat and connective tissue means that beef short ribs need long, slow cooking in order to become tender.

What is the best way to tenderize beef short ribs? ›

Braising, which is actually slow simmering (after browning in a bit of oil or butter), brings irresistibly tender and boldly flavored results to this meaty cut of beef. Because short ribs require long, slow cooking for tenderness and flavor, braising is the perfect technique for cooking them.

Braise in the oven until the meat is very tender and pulling away from the bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Rest the meat. When the meat is done, rest in a covered pan for 20 minutes before serving. Serve by gently tugging the chunks of meat away from the bone and spooning the saucy onions over top.

Technically, yes. Anything can become overcooked in the slow cooker if it goes for too long. Fortunately, since there's plenty of liquid in a stew, there's very little risk of that happening in this recipe. Still, I don't recommend cooking longer than the 8 hours listed!

This step is really important and if you skip it your slow cooker ribs will not be as tender. But it's super easy to do! Just flip the rack of ribs over so that you are looking at the bottom side.

Yes. Believe it or not, you can overcook ribs in a slow cooker. That's why I recommend cooking them low and slow and keeping an eye on them towards the end. You're looking for meat that's tender and comes off the bone with light pressure.

foods. Since they're fatty, they need a nice acidic. flavor in the braise — red wine isn't strong enough in.

You will often see them sold trimmed “St. Louis Style” to make the rack of ribs easier to deal with. Overall, baby backs win out as the lowest in fat and calories, plus they're more tender and quick-cooking.

Ribs. Just like brisket, ribs have a significant amount of collagen, but are a much thinner cut of meat so they take less time. For my ribs, the smoker was set at 225 Fahrenheit.

Not only are they easy to prepare, their flavor actually gets better when cooked the day before. Braising tenderizes meat by slowly simmering it in a heavy covered pot such as a Dutch Oven in wet heat and is a perfect way to cook short ribs.