Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about short ribs. Julie Powell talked about them in her book Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession
The contestants on Top Chef
Which only meant one thing…I had to give them a try! So I scoured my pile of collected recipes, looking for a short ribs recipe. Oddly enough, I found one….on the back of another recipe for Parmesan Pork Roast (that I’m dying to try so stay tuned)! BINGO! And, this recipe is made in the slow cooker — DOUBLE BINGO!
Is It a Keeper?
Let me start by saying that my 5 year old has claimed this recipe as “his favorite dinner EVER!” I was completely amazed by how flavorful and rich these ribs and the decadent sauce are! AH-MAZING! I’m going to be begging my butcher for short ribs on a regular basis now!
I used Yuengling Lager beer — that’s all we have in our house. If you’re not a beer fan, you can use non-alcoholic beer or just use more beef broth. But honestly, it didn’t have a very strong beer flavor. What it did have was a nice, rich flavor. Mmmmm….I wish I had some leftover to eat right now!
I served them with mashed potatoes, but any starch to soak up the sauce would work fine. Egg noodles, rice, a hunk of good, crusty bread, whatever.
And, I’ll let you in on a little secret…traditional braising requires you to brown the meat on all sides before adding it to the braising pan (or slow cooker). I actually had to make this recipe twice for this post, since the first time I forgot to take a photo.
The first time I made them, I browned them and then added them to the slow cooker to finish cooking. The second time, I didn’t brown them. Just slapped them in Big Red (yes, I’ve named my slow cooker Big Red). Honestly, you couldn’t tell the difference. To save time, I think you can skip the browning step.
Just make sure you give this recipe a try! It’s sooooo good! Take my 5 year old’s word for it!
UPDATE: If you’re looking for a quick cook dish with the same flavors, give my Drunken Pork Chops a try! They are done in 30 minutes and have all of the same flavor as this recipe!
In case you were wondering, this is the slow cooker I have. I absolutely LOVE it!
Beer Braised Short Ribs
Compliments of It’s a Keeper
www.itisakeeper.com
Compliments of It’s a Keeper
www.itisakeeper.com
3 medium onions, cut into wedges
3 to 3-1/2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
1 bay leaf
1 bottle (12 ounces) light beer or nonalcoholic beer
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
Place onions in a 5-qt. slow cooker; add ribs and bay leaf. Combine the beer, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, thyme, bouillon, salt and pepper. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm. Discard bay leaf. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer juices to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine flour and water until smooth. Gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
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54 Responses to Beer Braised Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker
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About Me
Hi! I'm Christina, the chief cook and bottle washer at It's a Keeper. I love to cook and am a self proclaimed recipe hoarder who reads cook books cover to cover like most people read a juicy novel. Join me as I cook and bake my way through the pile of recipes that I've collected. Read more.Find It’s a Keeper on:
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My husband would love this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Love using beer to tenderize meat in the crock pot. These look fantastic. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
This looks like a recipe to try out! I love ribs and slow cookers! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for linking up your recipe to THIS WEEKS CRAVINGS! This is gonna be a fun week, seeing what “secret ingredient” people hide in their recipes!
Just a “sneak peak” for next week, the theme is “HUBBY COOKS”. So, we hope to see you again next Monday (and maybe if you don’t already have a husband that cooks, you can talk him into making you dinner this week… that’s what I have to do!)
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS
Looks wonderful yummy! I don’t usually brown the meat before putting it in the crockpot. I know they say you’re supposed to in order to sear in the juices and make it taste better, but I’ve never noticed a difference so I usually skip that step.
Thanks for linking up to Making Your Home Sing Monday!
I found you through the “I Love My Online Friends Monday Hop!”
I am a new follower on GFC. (Anja M.)
Hope you will follow me back at This and That
I love ribs from my slow cooker. Great recipe. Now following from “I Love My Online Friends Monday Hop”.
That looks so tasty. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Got to try it
Happy to be a new follower from the hop.
Life Below Zero
http://casinofreebies3.blogspot.com/
It’s really perfect timing that I came across this recipe! Yesterday we bought some gluten free beer, only to find out that it tasted really gross by itself. So we have 3 bottles to use up somehow and this recipe definitely fits the bill! Yum!
Let me know how you make out with the GF beer!
Those look yummy- I love slow cooker recipes! New follower from Tag Back Tuesday
http://tooblessed-tobestressed.blogspot.com/
Sounds very yummmy, I’m using the slow cooker today. I love my slow cooker!!!
Hope
http://www.peanutbutterandhopey.com
I’ve never made short ribs either and this looks like an awesome first recipe. Stopped by from Delicious Dishes.
Happy Tuesday I am a new follower from the monster blog hop and I look forward to following your blog!…Hope u can come by for a visit! http://adventuresatgreenacre.blogspot.com
With one kid in softball and one in baseball, the crock pot is going to get its own workout. Thanks for a new recipe for my family. These look really, really good. Plus, the endorsement from a 5 year old really sealed the deal.
yummo!! Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!
love the fact they were made in the slow cooker see what I shared at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
These look yummy! A perfect dish for spring!
I’m your newest follower and found you through Whatever Goes Wednesday. Stop by my blog sometime–I’d love to have you as a follower, as well!
I LOVE this! Its PERFECT for you to Link up at my Linky PAR-TAY,
Whassup Wednesday!!!
And I have a party button you can grab so your friends can come too:)
*ENTER LINKY PAR-TAY Here! *
xoxokara
hiya , yummy now if i only had a slow cooker ,hmmmm wonder if it could be tweaked for the oven ? , tfs , i am visiting from someday crafts and am your newest follower maybe you will pop by mine and follow too
http://www.emilysnan.blogspot.com
xmaggiex
Looks delicious!
And, if it works in a crockpot, it’s great in a solar oven! Hello from Prairie Story Recipe Swap. Gonna browse around your site — everything looks delish. Come visit when you can!
Tnx for linking up this weekend!
Wow, great foodie
happy FTF!
http://www.lyzalane.info/2011/03/ftf-pork-and-chicken-adobo-w-liver.html
Wow. I always sear my short ribs on all sides, THEN braise them forever. Definitely going to try this one. (I often serve mine with some creamy Parmesan polenta and a crispy salad!) Here from Stuff & Nonsense and am following.
Thanks for linking up to Foodie Friday. This looks amazing and gives me a good use for the slow cooker!
Sounds soooo good! Thanks for linking at
Make a Food-”e”-Friend Monday. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Mmm – I love ribs! I don’t brown mine first either but I have never tried to cook them in the slow cooker! Gotta try it this way next time! Thanks for sharing!
We love short ribs at our house. I usually use Emiril’s recipe which uses a little red wine vinegar. Like the beer, it gives it a little extra flavor but nothing overpowering. This looks yummy, I’ll have to try it next time.
oh my word. i can smell this thru my screen. heaven.
thanks for linking to creative juice thursday!
Great dish! Thanks for sharing, I just love your site.
I adore short ribs. Its probably in my top 10 of foods. Yours look and sound great. I love crockpot recipes.
Made this for dinner tonight. Can I say AMAZING. My whole family enjoyed it and that is not easy to do. It was so fast to get ready in the morning and very litte prep when I got home from work. I added carrots and mushrooms which made a great addition.
So glad you liked it!!!! It’s really an AWESOME recipe — my family loves it too!!!
Thanks for reporting back!
how do you think it would be to use guinness instead of a light beer?
It should be great! I typically use Yuengling Lager (since that’s all we have in our house) when I make any recipe with beer and it’s divine! Let me know if you try it and how you make out! We’re having this for dinner tomorrow night and I can’t wait!
All I can say…the short ribs were absolutely fantastic! I pulled out the crock pot to make some comfort food during today’s snow storm. Glad I found this site and recipe. I never made short ribs before, but I will make them again…and soon!
I’m so glad you liked them! They are big hit in our house!
I will be making this for New Years Eve dinner tomorrow, with mashed potatoes and heirloom carrots. I am planning on substituting Beef broth for Beef Boillion (2 cups I think?), do you think this will work out OK? Any other suggestions on doing this?
I think 2 cups might be too much. I would use 1/2 cup of broth and eliminate the water from the recipe. Let me know how you make out!
Enjoy!
I am making the shortribs in the crockpot now…I forgot to buy the tomato paste…is there something I can use instead or should I just go buy it ??
The tomato paste adds a lot of richness to the dish. I don’t think there would be a suitable replacement. I would pick some up. I hope you like it!
Well , I did go and buy the tomato paste…But I wonder for next time if there is a subsitute …..Thanks
Thank You Christina for getting back to me
I am looking forward to this recipe..it smells delicious. I am glad I went to the store to get the tomato paste I am sure it will make a difference….
Let me know if you like it!
Goodmorning Christina…
I made this dish yesterday and it is delicious ! I am not a big fan of crockpot recipes and I am very happy to say this one Is A Keeper !!!
Thanks for your response to my question and I have to agree that the tomato paste is the way to go…Thanks…Charlene
I’m so glad you liked it!! I think the tomato paste adds a depth of flavor that you won’t get from a substitution. I’m glad you tried it!
I made this recipe tonight and it was amazing!! My husband licked his plate clean! Better than most restaurant short ribs!! Delicious!!!
I am so glad to hear that you loved it!!! It’s definitely a keeper at our house! Thanks for the feedback!
These short ribs are fantastic. I add extra vegetables in the crockpot, too. A family favorite, for sure! This is my go to comfort food recipe.
I’m so glad you liked them! If you want to try another similar recipe, give my Drunken Pork Chops a try (http://www.everydaytastes.com/2012/09/26/drunken-pork-chops/). They have the same flavor profile and you can make them in under 30 minutes!
This sounds so good, I can’t wait to try it. If I could offer a suggestion. I cook with beer quite a bit and the one thing you want to do is use a strongly flavored beer. Stouts and Porters go especially well with beef, you just want to wait to eat those the next day (to combat the bitterness).
Thanks for the suggestion! I usually use lagers — since that’s what we drink. I like the fuller bodied flavor in these recipes too!