Crockpot Beef Short Ribs

Season and sear. Pat the short ribs dry. Season all over with salt and pepper. If there are big, thick caps of exterior fat, you can trim a little so the gravy is not overly greasy later. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil, and sear ribs on as many sides as you can until deeply browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to the slow cooker.

Build the flavor base. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add sliced onion and cook 6 to 8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until softened and starting to take on a little color. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Toast the tomato paste. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells sweet and savory. This is a small step with a big payoff.

Deglaze. Pour in the red wine (if using) and simmer, scraping the pan, until it reduces by about one third, about 2 to 4 minutes. If not using wine, add a good splash of broth and do the same scraping.

Slow cooker time. Pour the onion mixture over the ribs. Add beef broth, Worcestershire, Dijon, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and brown sugar (if using). Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours (or HIGH for 4 to 6 hours) until the meat is fork-tender. Start checking a bit early if your ribs are smaller or boneless. If they are not tender yet, keep going.

Skim and thicken (optional). Carefully transfer ribs to a plate. Discard bay leaves and remove herb stems. Skim excess fat from the sauce if you want a cleaner gravy (a fat separator helps, or chill the sauce briefly so the fat rises fast). If you want it thicker, make sure the sauce is hot and gently bubbling, then mix cornstarch with cold water and stir the slurry into the slow cooker sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes until glossy.

Finish and serve. Taste the gravy and adjust salt and pepper. Return ribs to the sauce to coat. Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, or buttered egg noodles. Shower with chopped parsley and do not forget to spoon extra gravy on everything.