There’s rain in the forecast, and it’s a dreary Monday so that calls for my newest short rib recipe – shout out to my mother if she’s reading this because she would probably be happy eating short ribs for dinner 7 days a week, hope you like this one mom! 🙂

Crock-pot dinners are so great because you can essentially just dump a bunch of stuff in a pot and go about your business. You come back 4-6 hours later and you have a home that smells like heaven and a warm, cozy meal that only gets better as leftovers!

Lots of veggies and herbs are crucial!

Season the short ribs liberally with kosher salt and pepper to ensure a great crust on your sear (and don’t turn them too soon!)

Like this:

​J has mad onion-flipping skills, let’s watch:

​I love the gorgeous, rich color you get from braising these ribs in red wine!

After 4-5 hours, this happens, and it’s so exciting 😀

I think the really kicker in this recipe though is the gravy you get from blending up the veggies at the end.
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Or maybe it’s the velvety, extra smooth mashed potatoes you can produce from using an immersion blender (one of my favorite kitchen tools). These mashed potatoes are a nice departure from the fluffy, more traditional version that I usually make.

Final product!

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients: 

3 lbs beef short ribs

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

3 large carrots, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

10 oz shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh oregano

1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

1 tbs canola oil

2 tbs fish sauce

2 tbs Worchestshire sauce

1 tbs tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

2 cups dry red wine

5 whole bay leaves

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Turn the Crock-pot on high.

2. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat canola oil in cast iron skillet on medium high until smoking. Working in two batches (so as not to overcrowd the pan), sear all sides of all short ribs (about 3 mins per side). Remove from pan and put them into the Crock-pot.

3. Add the onions and mushrooms into the pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. De-glaze the pan with the red wine. Turn heat down to medium and cook mixture for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour the onion/mushroom/wine mixture into the Crock-pot on top of short ribs. Add all the other vegetables, herbs, garlic cloves, tomato paste, and sauces to the Crock-pot, then pour the beef broth over everything. Put the lid on and slow cook on high for 4 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender but still has some integrity.

5. When the short ribs are done, remove them from the Crock-pot, place them on a plate, and tent them with foil to keep them warm. Remove all herb stems and bay leaves from the Crock-pot, but leave the vegetables in the  remaining liquid.

6. Using an immersion blender, blend all the vegetables into the liquid remaining in the pot for 2-3 minutes or until thickened into a rich gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the short ribs with the gravy.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients:

3 Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 whole head of garlic

1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy cream (more if needed)

1/2 stick of butter, unsalted

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top stem off the head of garlic so that the tops of all the cloves inside are exposed. Drizzle the top of the garlic with olive oil, wrap the whole thing in foil, then roast it in the oven for 1 hour.

2. Bring the potatoes to a boil in a medium pot. Cook until fork tender, then drain the water off. Squeeze the soft interiors of the roasted garlic cloves out into the pot of potatoes, and incorporate them with a fork. Add the half-and-half or heavy cream, the butter, and the Parmesan, and combine with an immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.