5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Ribs. The Romantic Dinner: With only 5 ingredients. I prepare it when I want restaurant quality meal in case of some special occasion but do not spend the entire evening in the kitchen.
It is my favorite slow cooker short rib recipe with only 5 ingredients, and I would choose to have this type of dinner at home.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Beef short ribs with bone in it → 3-3 1/2 pounds
- Kosher salt → 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Freshly grated black pepper → 1 teaspoon
- Beef broth → 1 cup
- Canned balsamic or brown sugar-type steak sauce (thick, slightly sweet sauce) → 3/4 cup
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Ribs: Directions
- Dry the bone-in beef short ribs using paper towels. Add the kosher salt and black pepper evenly on all sides and push the seasoning in so that it adheres.
- Put the well-cooked short ribs in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, with the meaty sides toward the center and the bones downward mostly to allow them to release flavor slowly into the sauce.
- Whisk together in a small bowl or measuring cup the beef broth and the thick steak sauce till smooth and blended. The mixture is supposed to appear dark and shiny.
- Add the sauce mixture to the short ribs in the slow cooker evenly, being careful that all the pieces are covered. Spoon can be used to loosen any bits that appear dry in order to have some sauce on them.
- Top the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or until the meat becomes very tender. You will see the fibers of the meat part and the bones loosen.
- As soon as the ribs are tender, carefully place the ribs on a serving platter with the bones still attached as much as possible so that they appear beautiful and rustic. Use a spoon to remove all the surplus fat on the surface of the cooking liquid.
- In order to obtain a heavier, restaurant-style glaze, pour 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Boil on a medium burner on the stovetop and boil softly (stirring occasionally) 8-10 minutes until it boils down to a shiny, spoon-coating thickness.
- Pour the thickened glaze heavy on the short ribs in the platter, and allow it to fall down the sides and rest in a puddle under the platter. Put the rest of the sauce on the table to allow everybody to add more on their plate. Serve hot with you favorite sides on it and the meat is still hot and shiny.
Variations & Tips
To please fussy eaters or children who like less intense flavors, use a sweeter, brown sugar-type steak sauce rather than a very tangy balsamic one and use a little less black pepper. In case your family enjoys some spicy touch, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the mixture of the broth and steak sauce and pour it on the ribs. To further make this feel more special-occasion-ish, one can brown the ribs in a hot skillet with a small amount of oil, 2 to 3 minutes each side, and then place them in the slow cooker, as doing so brings more of a caramelized flavor to them but this is an optional step. Should you desire more sauce, you only need to add more beef broth and steak sauce to 1 1/2 cups and 1 cup respectively and reduce a larger amount at the end on the stove. These short-ribs too warm well: chop away the meat of the bones remaining, and mix it with any remaining sauce to serve it over pasta, or roll it into toasted rolls and make a second meal out of it with little trouble.
Slow Cooker Crack Chicken (with Shredded Chicken Breasts)