Thank you, Hamilton Beach, for providing me with an amazing slow cooker so I could finally make my favorite meal again!
I never knew how awesome dinner could be until I tried some legendary Balsamic Glazed Short Ribs. I swear to you, no seriously, that the heavens opened up and angels started singing, because this meal is just that amazing.
These ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, and coated with a balsamic glaze that is thick, rich, and beyond flavorful. Even vinegar haters love it, because it doesn’t have any vinegar taste. Just meaty sweetness that melts in your mouth with every bite. I’m making myself drool over here.
This meal is perfect for the slow cooker, especially if you have the Programmable Stay or Go 6 Quart Slow Cooker. Everything fit like a dream. I was able to set my temperature and timing to what would work for the short ribs and they came out beautifully. Also, I might be obsessed with the lid, because it clips shut, making a nice, tight seal on the slow cooker.
Do you guys have a member of your family who loves to ruin dinner by lifting the lid to check on the food? Even after being told repeatedly not to do it? My husband is one of those. Oh is he ever a lifter of lids, checker of foods, monitor of all things cooking…and it drives me insane. But this lid! This amazing lid! It clips down hard and makes even my husband not want to mess with it. THANK YOU Hamilton Beach! You have saved dinner.
This recipe seems kind of crazy and hard, but really, it isn’t. You just sear off the meat and stuff it in the slow cooker with herbs, veggies, and white wine and let it go. Then you make the glaze, which is easy, but there is a lot of downtime involved, so I suggest starting the glaze right away just to get it done and over with. Take my word for it, because I have waited until the last minute like three times and ugh, not good. Let’s make some balsamic glazed short ribs together and discover how amazing dinner can be.
Oh! But before we get cooking, how about I help one of you out with a Stay or Go Slow Cooker just for you? Yeah?? Enter below for a chance (or several) to win!
Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6 Quart Slow Cooker
Yield 8
10 minPrep Time
6 hrCook Time
6 hr, 10 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 Beef Short Ribs
- 4 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 3 Celery Stalks, chopped
- 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 Pack Fresh Rosemary
- 1 Pack Fresh Thyme
- 1 Bottle White Wine
- 6 Heads of Garlic, split horizontally
- 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 C Brown Sugar
- 6 Sprigs Rosemary
- 4 C Balsamic Vinegar
- 7 C Chicken Stock, sodium free
- 4 C Beef Stock, sodium free
Instructions
- Generously salt and pepper the short ribs. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once very hot, add the short ribs and brown on both sides, then remove from heat immediately.
- Deglaze the pan with a little of the white wine, scraping the brown bits up as the wine reduces.
- Add the meat, deglazing liquid, vegetables, and herbs to a 6 quart slow cooker and pour in the wine. Set temperature to low for 6 hours and let it cook.
- While the meat cooks, start making the glaze. In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter to near foaming. Spread the brown sugar across the surface of the pan and nestle the garlic heads into the sugar. Allow to cook, and lightly caramelize for around 10-12 minutes.
- Once the garlic and sugar are a nice dark brown, add the balsamic vinegar and turn up the heat, and allow to boil until reduced by 80%*. After the vinegar has reduced, add the chicken stock and reduce again, this time by 75%. Add the beef stock and reduce once more by about 75%, or until the glaze starts to thicken a bit, enough to coat a spoon with a light layer.
- When the ribs are ready, remove from slow cooker and allow to cool. Reserve 1 cup of the braising liquid left in the slow cooker and add it to a large fry pan at medium-medium-high heat. Add 2 cups of the glaze, as well as 4 sprigs of rosemary, then add the ribs and allow the glaze to continue reducing around the ribs until thick and thoroughly glazed. Serve with pasta tossed in some of the remaining glaze and enjoy immediately.
Notes
*The balsamic vinegar will create a lot of fumes while it reduces, so good ventilation, or fans and open windows may be necessary. Once the stock is added, the fumes will dissipate.
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