Don’t be afraid of ribs! These Slow Cooked Short Ribs are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. With these tips and this recipe, you’ll make the perfect beef short ribs.
Slow Cooked Short Ribs
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I don’t cook ribs often because I just haven’t known how to cook them! I don’t even usually get them when we go out to eat. Ribs are so yummy, but most ribs at restaurants are loaded up with BBQ sauce, and (let’s face it) I’m not coordinated to be trusted with lots of dark-colored sauce in public. So I was sort of scared of ribs.
But I’m not anymore!
I took a trip to Dewig Meats – where I buy most of our meat – and had a chat with the owners and some of their employees about ribs. They took the time to tell me about the difference between beef and pork ribs (yes, one comes from cattle and one comes from pigs, but there’s more to it than just that!). They showed me where on the cow the short ribs come from. And we talked a bit about the best ways to cook ribs.
And baby, I ran with it!
Actually, I ran home with 8 pounds of short ribs, some beef back ribs, and 2 full racks of pork ribs. And I fired up my slow cooker.
How to Cook Beef Short Ribs
The secret to great short ribs is the cooking process. Short ribs are very well marbled (which means they have a lot of fat). But they are also pretty tough to start with. So they need to be cooked for a long time. Braising is the perfect way to cook short ribs.
How Do You Braise Beef Short Ribs?
Braising sounds complicated. It’s not anywhere near as hard as it sounds. (But don’t tell anyone how easy it is. Just tell them you braised these short ribs, and they’ll think you’re a genius chef.)
Heat up some vegetable oil in a big skillet or an enamel Dutch oven. While it’s heating, season your short ribs all over with kosher salt and black pepper. When the skillet is good and hot, pop your ribs in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, flip them over, cook for 2-3 minutes on that side, and take them out. Stick them in your slow cooker. Work in batches if you have to. You want a good sear on the outside of the ribs – nice and brown. If you put too much meat in the pan at once, the meat will steam rather than brown, and that’s not what we’re going for.
You’ll probably end up with a lot of fat left in your pan. That’s okay. Dice some carrots and an onion, and toss that in your pan. If you’ve got some roasted garlic, smash 5 cloves and toss that in too. (Otherwise use 2-3 cloves of minced fresh garlic.) Add some rosemary and thyme (I like the McCormick brand) and some salt and pepper. Cook all those veggies and seasonings in the pan for 7-10 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the carrots start to get soft. Then put all those veggies in the slow cooker with your ribs.
Deglaze the pan with a little bit of beef stock (or broth) to get all the yummy browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add that into the slow cooker, too. Top off with a total of 4 cups of beef stock or beef broth. Cover the slow cooker, and cook on low.
How Long Do You Cook Beef Short Ribs?
Walk away from your slow cooker for 6-8 hours.
Seriously. Just walk away. Don’t lift the lid, don’t check on them, don’t stir, don’t do anything. Come back in 6-8 hours.
If the short ribs don’t fall off the bones, they aren’t done yet. Come back in another hour. This meat gets so soft and tender… I had a hard time keeping the bones in to get these photos! You won’t need a knife… just a fork. And it practically melts in your mouth.
Short ribs are not the cheapest beef you can buy. And they do take a little bit of know-how to cook. But I’ve just told you everything you need to know. Plan for these in your budget a few times a year, and your family will thank you. (PS, need a dish to impress the in-laws? This is it!)
Enjoy!
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Slow Cooked Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 medium carrots peeled and finely diced
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 5 cloves roasted garlic smashed (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
- 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus extra
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper plus extra
- 4 cups beef stock or broth
Instructions
- Season short ribs with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or enamel Dutch oven. Working in batches, cook ribs for 2-3 minutes on each side, until seared. Place short ribs in slow cooker and set aside. Reserve fat in skillet.
- Add carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to fat in skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7-10 minutes until onion is translucent and carrots start to get soft. Add vegetable mixture to slow cooker.
- Add 1/2 cup beef stock to skillet to deglaze skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Add this to the slow cooker.
- Add 3-1/2 cups more beef stock to slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Short ribs are done when the meat falls away from the bone.
The rosemary and thyme in the recipe, are they fresh or dried herbs?
Heather, I used dried herbs. You could use fresh, just use about half of the dried amount.