Summertime is here and that means cookouts and deliciousness. Although my Slow Cooker Short Ribs with a red wine coffee sauce, doesn’t qualify as real barbecue, its got the deliciousness covered!
I love to barbecue but sometimes I just don’t have the time to watch my grill for the hours it takes to properly cook ribs. And I certainly don’t want to keep my oven on in the summer heat.
That’s when I turn to my trusty slow cooker, the best friend a busy home cook ever had.
Not only is this an easy way to get meat, fall off the bone tender. It’s also a way to add additional flavors into the dish. You don’t have to labor over reductions or simmering a sauce for hours, you just add all the ingredients into your slow cooker and you’re ready to go.
Set the temperature and it’s time and get on with your busy day. Even if your busy day is simply laying in the sun working on your tan!
The unique blend of red wine and coffee added a rich and robust flavor to my ribs. And depending upon the heartiness of the red wine you use, could be even more flavorful. My seasonings were pretty basic and my mirepoix a standard blend of celery, carrots and onions with a few garlic cloves thrown in for good measure.
The smoked paprika and chili powder added another level of flavors that combine perfectly with other ingredients. My simple reduction of the juices in the slow cooker made for a delightful sauce and a change from the typical tomato-based barbecue. But feel free to take these delicious ribs in any direction you choose. It’s all about what you enjoy eating.
If you love ribs you may also like these recipes:
Slow Cooker Short Ribs with a Red Wine Coffee Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup black coffee
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the short ribs in a large bowl and toss with the seasoned flour.
- Place the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, place the short ribs in the pot and sear until browned on each side.
- Transfer the browned short-ribs to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- Drain the the liquid from the slow cooker and place into a saucepan. Turn off the slow cooker and leave the ribs covered until your sauce is complete.*
- Add one tablespoon of flour into the sauce and mix well with a wire whip. When liquid begins to boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer. Your reduction should begin to thicken and when its thick enough its done.
- Add in the sour cream and mix well.
- Re-season with sea salt and black pepper or any other seasoning you wish to add and serve with your ribs.
Meredith Lee
I’d be curious to know how a cold brew coffee would do in the recipe. It’s has less acidity and more sweetness. Would the flavor of regular brewed coffee be a better complement to the wine?
Chef Dennis Littley
Any coffee will work Meredith, cold brew sounds like a great way to lessen the acidity. And while I’m not a wine expert, I don’t think it will make that much difference to the sauce.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
Chef Dennis, love the sound of this! AND I love using the slow cooker on hot summer days!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Jean, a slow cooker is a life saver especially during the hot summer months!
Dawn D.
Who knew that the leftover coffee in the morning could serve as a valuable ingredient for dinner? This sounds delicious! Sometimes you do need a good slow-cooker recipe handy for ribs- grilling is great, but if it decides to rain all weekend, sometimes you’ve got to get a little creative. This recipe would certainly impress anyone! Can’t wait to try it!
Chef Dennis Littley
It is a different type of rib recipe Dawn, but its nice to change things up from the typical barbecue flavors. Thanks for stopping by!