My Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs recipe was created in connection with my agreement as a contributor for Holland House Cooking Wines. Compensation was provided, however the opinions expressed herein are those of Life Tastes Good, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Holland House Cooking Wines.

Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs are fall off the bone tender and melt in your mouth with a rich, succulent flavor that can only be described as luxurious.

If you've never had the pleasure of enjoying the succulent richness of the most tender beef you could ever imagine, you are truly missing out. Every bite makes me close my eyes and savor the flavor that is almost too good to be true. It's hard to believe how very easy they are to cook. You do have to take a little bit of time to brown the short ribs, but once they go in the slow cooker, magic happens.

They cook to perfection all by themselves. Resulting in a delectable entree that is good enough for company and even the most special of celebrations. It always makes me smile when some unsuspecting friend or family member takes their first bite and can't help but exclaim, "Wow! That is tender!" or something along those lines. I love taking people by surprise with my cooking and this recipe for Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs does it every time!

Let's talk cooking with wine. I love to cook with wine. I always have some handy to deglaze the skillet and whip up a quick sauce or add that little extra somethin' somethin' to soups, stews, spaghetti, you name it!

I've always heard to cook with a wine you'd actually drink, so when developing this recipe, I first tried it with my favorite Pinot Noir. It turned out delicious, but the taste of wine that infused the beef was a little overwhelming for me. I didn't feel the recipe was 'blog-worthy' at that point, so I decided to give it a go with a bottle of the Red Cooking Wine Holland House sent me.

Swapping out the normal wine I drink with Holland House Red Cooking Wine and reducing the salt slightly to adjust for the added salt in the cooking wine were the only changes I made to the recipe. I kept the changes a secret from Don, so I could get his honest opinion, which he is always more than happy to share (unfortunately) haha. Lately, he's gotten to be quite the food critic.

Upon my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised! The cooking wine added just the right flavor to this dish, uplifting it to 'blog-worthy' status. The beef was even more tender this time around, which I didn't think was possible.

Don immediately noticed the difference as well and knew I had changed something with the recipe. He was surprised to learn the cooking wine resulted in a better overall dish and was happy to save the dollars, as well as save the drinking wine for actual drinking. The moral of this story: Don't be afraid to experiment with new ingredients, they just might surprise you <smile>

If you prefer, scroll down past my photo tutorial to get the ingredient list and instructions.

To make my Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs, start by generously seasoning the beef short ribs with salt and pepper...

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over mid-high heat and place short ribs meaty side down in the skillet. Allow the meat to sear, undisturbed, for about 4-5 minutes each side, with the exception of the bone side. We don't need to sear the bone. Sear the meat in 2 batches, so the skillet isn't too crowded.

Once the first batch is nicely seared on all meaty sides, transfer it to the slow cooker and continue searing the remaining ribs. When the remaining ribs are seared nicely, add 1/4 cup tomato puree and the garlic to the skillet. Cook for about a minute until the garlic begins to soften.

Pour in 16 ounces of Holland House Red Cooking wine and bring to a low boil. Adjust the temp as needed to keep the wine at a low boil and reduce the wine by half. This will take about 15 minutes. Reducing the wine intensifies it, resulting in a rich, deep flavor that expertly infuses the meat and the gravy as well. 

Transfer the ribs and liquid to the slow cooker and add 1 tablespoon beef base with 3 cups hot water. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until the meat is so tender it is nearly falling off the bone.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker and keep warm until ready to serve. To make the gravy, strain the liquid through a sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. I use a fat separator and let the fat rise to the top and then pour the beef juices into a saucepan.

Bring the beef juices to a boil for about 15 minutes to reduce down. In a little dish, dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of the hot beef juice to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the gravy and continue to cook until thickened. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed to suit your tastes.

Garnish the short ribs with freshly chopped parsley and serve over garlic mashed potatoes with the gravy. Enjoy!

Visit the Holland House website for more information about Holland House Cooking Wines and click here for even more recipe inspiration. 

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Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs

By Life Tastes Good
Published 09/24/2015

Ingredients

• 6 beef short ribs, thick and meaty with the bone on (I recommend Certified Angus Beef brand short ribs for best quality)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 16 ounce bottle of Holland House Red Cooking Wine
• 1 tablespoon beef base
• 3 cups hot water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Season beef generously with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over mid-high heat and place short ribs meaty side down in the skillet. Allow the meat to sear, undisturbed, for about 4-5 minutes each side, with the exception of the bone side. We don't need to sear the bone. Sear the meat in 2 batches, so the skillet isn't too crowded.
3. Once the first batch is nicely seared on all meaty sides, transfer it to the slow cooker and continue searing the remaining ribs. When the remaining ribs are seared nicely, add 1/4 cup tomato puree and the garlic to the skillet. Cook for about a minute until the garlic begins to soften.
4. Pour in 16 ounces of Holland House Red Cooking wine and bring to a low boil. Adjust the temp as needed to keep the wine at a low boil to reduce the wine by half. This will take about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the ribs and liquid to the slow cooker and add 1 tablespoon beef base with 3 cups hot water. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until the meat is so tender it is nearly falling off the bone.
6. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and keep warm until ready to serve.
7. To make the gravy, strain the liquid through a sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. I use a fat separator and let the fat rise to the top and then pour the beef juices into a saucepan.
8. Bring the beef juices to a boil for about 15 minutes to reduce down. In a little dish, dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of the hot beef juice to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the gravy and continue to cook until thickened. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed to suit your tastes.
9. Garnish the short ribs with freshly chopped parsley and serve over garlic mashed potatoes with the gravy. Enjoy!

Yield: 3-6 Servings
Prep Time: 30 mins.

Cook time: 6 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 6 hrs. 30 mins.

Tags: Slow Cooker, Beef Short Ribs, Red Cooking Wine, Entree, Main, Easy Recipe, Special Occasion, Holland House Cooking Wines, Crock Pot, Tender

Here are a couple more of my Beef Short Rib recipes for you to try...

Beef Short Rib Sandwich

Chimichurri Braised Beef Short Ribs