Last fall, by the grace of God, my company gave everyone laptops. This meant a faster more enjoyable work experience (if that's possible!) but also that we could start working from home once a week. Working from home is the greatest thing since gluten free sliced bread that doesn't crumble. Every Wednesday, I roll out of bed, wash my face, make a cup of tea, and turn on my laptop. Boom, I'm a work. No more 45 minute commute or lengthy wait in the Starbucks line because the cashier is super chatty that day and is like a drug pusher trying to get everyone to buy their damned croissants.
Work From Home Wednesday has also allowed me to do much more cooking (and cleaning, organizing, bill paying too boot) because I have all day to prepare something. My sister calls it my "Housewife Day" because by the time she rolls in the door at 6:00, the house is spotless, I'm in an apron with dinner on the stove, and I have a glass of wine waiting for her. BEST SISTER EVER.
Conveniently, my work from home day is also perfect for slow cooked meals. Oh, the slow cooker. I think everyone has such high hopes for their slow cooker and in most cases it just sits on the top of your fridge collecting dust. Kind of like those Tae Bo tapes you ordered or The Magic Bullet. A popular shower/wedding gift, a slow cooker is GREAT in theory. Oh, look at me. I just chop a bunch of crap, put it in this pot, and I have a meal in 8 hours! I can leave it unattended! Look, I can make BROWNIES in the slow cooker. So yes, a slow cooker is great but it takes some strategic planning and basic math skills. "Okay, so this slow cooked whatever is going to take 8 hours. So I have to get up at 8, and put it in by 10 so it will be done at 6." Who has that kind of grasp on their schedule during the weekday mornings? Not this chick!
But since I'm literally attending conference calls in my pajamas on Wednesday, it has given me more room to prepare and think about using my slow cooker. Lo and behold, I decided that my last Work From Home Wednesday called for Slow Cooked Short Ribs!
Fun fact about me and short ribs: THEY ARE MY CULINARY SOUL MATE. One upping fettuccine Alfredo as my death row meal, short ribs are the most delicious things on the planet. Fall off the bone tender and slightly fatty, short ribs not only taste like heaven on bone, but they present really well. If you make these for anybody they will think you are the best chef ever even if your best culinary achievement to date is not burning your toaster strudel in the morning.
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| Le Creuset "French" Oven. I want one of these so bad it stings! |
Now, I've made short ribs before in a Dutch oven which is the traditional way to do things. Unfortunately, I still haven't sprung for the holy grail of cooking crockery yet - the Le Creuset Dutch Oven. These things are like a bajillion dollars and since a future bridal shower is looking a little dicey and/or I haven't been able to pay my electric bill in full in three months, it's probably not in the cards for another few years. Some day, man. Some day. So I have this crappy Dutch oven that I bought at Marshall's for $12.00. It's good, but it cracked the last time I used it and would only fit about 2 good sized short ribs. And here's where the slow cooker came in.....
I've made a few things in my slow cooker and I've been mildly impressed by them. However, these short ribs impressed me the most and it really was quite easy. To concoct this recipe, I looked up a few different recipes and then coddled them all together to create this masterpiece of meat. The one thing to remember about cooking short ribs in the slow cooker or short ribs at all, is that they are very fatty. With this fat comes delicious flavor, as it breaks down during the whole cooking process. However, it can make for some seriously greasy sauce. What I did this time that I haven't done in previous short rib attempts was try to remove as much grease from the sauce as possible. It bubbles up to the top, so you have to painstakingly skim it off the top, but it is worth it. I served these short ribs with bacon and Gorgonzola grits but they would also be tremendous over polenta or mashed potatoes.
The best part of this meal was that it had oodles of leftovers. And since I can't stomach eating the same thing for dinner twice in a row (what is this prison!?), I made short rib pizza with arugula, mozzarella, and caramelized onions for dinner the next night. Hands down one of the best pizzas I've ever made.
So the lesson to be learned here is ......stop neglecting that slow cooker and make these delicious short ribs!
Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Bacon Gorgonzola Grits
Makes 6 short ribs.
2 packages of short ribs (usually a package has 2 large ones and 1 smaller one)
package of mushrooms (sliced thin)
1T butter
1 T olive oil
3/4 of an onion, diced
12 gloves of garlic (peeled, smashed, and chopped lightly)
2 bay leaves
1 can of tomato paste
14 oz can of diced tomatoes in juice
1-2 cups red wine
Salt and pepper short ribs on all sides. Heat skillet over medium heat and add 1 T of butter and 1 T of olive oil. Swirl pan to combine the two, and then add short ribs to skillet, about 3 at a time. Brown on all sides and remove from skillet. Place in bottom of crock pot. Repeat with remaining short ribs.
Pour out all but 1 T of oil from skillet. Add chopped onions and garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes till aromatic. Add wine to de-glaze pan and cook for 1 more minute. Add this mixture to top of short ribs in the slow cooker.
Throw the bay leaves, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and chopped mushrooms into the slow cooker. It should be filled to the brim at this point, but don't stress. Everything will start breaking down and combining once it starts to cook. Turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 8 hours.*
After 8 hours is up, remove short ribs from slow cooker and place on plate. Cover with tin foil to keep warm. Throw the remaining liquid from the slow cooker into a deep sauce pan. Here comes the fun part. Try to skim as much of the fat off the top of your sauce as possible. Once you've done as much skimming as you can do, heat sauce to a roiling boil and reduce for 15 minutes. This should thicken everything and bring some more grease to the top. Repeat skimming process if there is still a lot of grease in your sauce. Add short ribs back into pan to reheat in the sauce. Serve 1 short rib and sauce over Bacon Gorgonzola grits.
Bacon Gorgonzola Grits
1 can of evaporated milk + water to equal 3 cups of liquid
1 cup of quick cooking grits
2 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Crisp bacon in small skillet and set aside on paper towel to cool. Bring your 3 cups of liquid (evap milk + water) to a boil. Slowly add grits and begin whisking immediately. Reduce heat to medium and continue whisking until grits starts to pull away from sides of the pan - about 2-3 minutes. Add bacon and crumbled cheese and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Some people like thinner grits. If that's the case, you can thin with more milk or even water. Just add and whisk away to your desired consistency.
*When I first made short ribs in the slow cooker, I didn't leave myself enough time. So I cooked it for less time on the higher heat setting. DON'T DO THIS. They came out horrible. Slow cooking takes patience so make sure you take the whole 8 hours.
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