Decadent Syrah Short Ribs (in a slow cooker!)

Why don’t we use our slow cookers for holiday dinners?  It does just as good of a job on Christmas dinner as it does for a weeknight meal. And it leaves you time to get everything else prepared!  It’s a no-brainer.

My absolute favorite thing to make in a slow cooker is a batch of short ribs. These are show stopping delicious, decadent short ribs braised in one of my favorite syrahs. You will even be surprised these came out of a slow cooker and you made them!

It’s not everyday that you will find a #25 on the Top 100 Wines of 2011 for under $30. And it’s not everyday that you’ll get to taste a truly “smokey” red wine because the grapes themselves were actually smokey from a wildfire. Today is that day. Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris 2009 speaks true to it’s name, “out of the shadows.” You will be a big fan of this one cooked into the short ribs and along side them.

Ingredients
7-8 pounds beef short ribs (sounds like a lot but they shrink a lot as they cook)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs each fresh oregano and rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Allow short ribs to come to room temperature before working with them.  When ready, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Tie parsley, oregano and rosemary together with kitchen twine. Add herbs and all vegetables to the slow cooker.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Working in batches (3-4 ribs per batch) sear the short ribs and add them to the slow cooker right on top of the vegetables.  After all ribs are seared, deglaze the pan with the red wine, scrapping up all the brown bits from the bottom.  Add wine and beef broth to the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the short ribs are falling off the bone.   Remove the bunch of herbs and all the meat from the slow cooker, set aside.

Carefully pour vegetables and liquid into a strainer over a small saucepan.  Add vegetables back to slow cooker and bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat.  Boil for 20 minutes until reduced by half and thickened. Skim fat off the top before serving.

Top a generous spoonful of Whipped Mashed Potatoes with short rib meat, vegetables and gravy. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest.

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