Cabernet Braised Short Ribs

The crock pot is truly a wonderful thing. I like using it just for the wonderful smells it creates in the kitchen. Anytime I cook beef in the crock pot, it comes out so tender. This dish was no exception. The meat fell off the bone as soon as I took it out of the pot.

Source: My Adventures in Food, loosely adapted from Cooking Light, March 2008

Ingredients:

2 Tbs canola oil

3 lbs beef short ribs, trimmed

Salt and pepper

2 c low sodium beef broth

1 ½ c cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine

3 Tbs tomato paste

3 celery ribs, sliced into 1-inch chunks

3 carrots, sliced into 1-inch chunks

6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

2 rosemary sprigs

3 Tbs all purpose flour

4 c hot, cooked wide egg noodles

Chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, heat until hot. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Add ribs to pan, and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove pan from heat. Place short ribs into a crock pot. Add beef broth to the pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Add wine and tomato paste to the broth, whisking to combine.

Add celery, carrot, garlic, onion, and rosemary to the crock pot. Pour broth mixture over the crock pot contents. Cover and bake on medium, about 6 hours, until ribs are fork-tender.

Uncover crock pot. Remove ribs carefully and set on a plate. Strain the broth mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving the liquid. Discard the remaining solids. Separate the drippings from the fat using a fat separator. (If a fat separator is not available, use a zip-top plastic bag, letting the drippings settle, snipping a small hole in the bottom corner, and draining the drippings. Stop draining when you reach the fat, which should have risen to the top.) Discard the fat.

Pour drippings into a small saucepan. Add flour, and stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, or until thickened.

Serve ribs on a bed of noodles, and pour gravy on top. Garnish with parsley.