Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed of excess exterior fat
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 large carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Pat the short ribs completely dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides until a deep, mahogany-colored crust forms (about 2-3 minutes per side). Transfer the browned ribs to the slow cooker.
  3. In the same skillet, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until the onions become translucent.
  4. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, cooking for another 60 seconds until the paste turns a deep brick red.
  5. Deglaze the skillet by pouring in the red wine, scraping the bottom to release the brown bits (fond). Pour this mixture over the beef in the slow cooker.
  6. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker.
  7. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours, until the beef is tender enough to be pulled apart with a fork.
  8. Carefully remove the ribs and vegetables to a platter. Strain the remaining liquid into a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat to reduce and thicken into a gravy.