Stout Braised Short Ribs

This delicious meal is perfect for the month of March (or really anytime of the year as it really is tasty). With St. Patrick's Day being on March 17th, why not start the celebration early with this incredible slow cooker recipe? The recipe (which I found in the Irish Cooking Bible cookbook) calls for a bottle of Irish stout beer and is simple to make. It also is perfect with my garlic and herb mashed potatoes. These fall-off-the-bone ribs will be an instant hit with friends and family for many years to come!

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

I used a bottle of Guinness stout beer and the flavor came out fantastic!

You can chop up the raw bacon and cook according to the recipe, or you can cook the bacon whole, drain on paper towels, and crumble bacon once cooled.

This recipe only gets better if made ahead and refrigerated overnight. It is also easier to skim any fat from the surface. Transfer meat to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish cover with foil and place in a warm oven to reheat. I like to gently warm the ribs, so I put them in a 225/250 degree F oven and warm them for about an hour.

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Preparation time is 25 minutes. Cook time is 8 hours. Total time is 8 1/2 hours.

Ingredients:

4 pounds bone-in-beef short ribs, well trimmed
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6-ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bottle (12 ounces) Irish stout
1 cup chicken broth/stock
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Hot mashed potatoes (optional)

Directions:

Season ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook ribs in batches, turning to brown all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Wipe out the skillet with paper towel. Cook bacon in the same skillet over medium heat about 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet.

Add onion to the skillet; cook and stir until translucent. Add the flour, mustard, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from the heat; pour in stout, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Pour over short ribs. Add bacon, broth and bay leaf. Cover; cook on LOW 8 hours. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.