Charlie's Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine

While Tova was visiting me in Boston, Charlie surprised us by making dinner using the slow cooker. It was his first time using a slow cooker, and the dish turned out beautifully! Since Tova and I didn't know exactly when we'd be home from our errands, he could just let the short ribs simmer away in the slow cooker until we were ready to eat. This recipe is adapted from Beth Hensperger & Julie Kaufmann's Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 c dry red wine, such as a Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon

2/3 c ketchup

3 T soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T brown sugar

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

4 lbs beef short ribs, on the bone

2 medium-size yellow onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine the wine, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and pepper in the slow cooker and mix until smooth.

2. Add the ribs, submerging them in the sauce. Distribute the onions over the ribs.

3. Cover and cook on LOW until tender and the meat starts to separate from the bone, 7-8 hours.

4. Transfer the ribs to a platter and set aside. Let the sauce cool for a bit, then spoon the liquid fat off the surface and discard.

5. Pour the sauce over the ribs and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Serving suggestion: Scrub a few potatoes, prick them, and pop them into a 400-degree oven about an hour before the ribs are ready. When the potatoes are done, place one in each bowl or plate, gently mash with a fork, and spoon the ribs and sauce over top.