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Fall-off-the-bone short ribs in a deeply savory red wine sauce, spooned over silky polenta and finished with a punchy gremolata. Rich and restaurant-worthy, with a bright finish that keeps it from feeling heavy. It’s the perfect winter meal for guests, and would even be a great option for Christmas dinner!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Is The Ultimate Holiday Comfort Food
- This dish of deeply savory, fall-apart short ribs served over creamy, cheesy polenta and topped with a vibrant, fresh gremolata to cut through all the richness is the ultimate winter meal if you’re looking to impress. It’s that good, it would also work as an elegant Christmas dinner you can make elements of ahead if you don’t fancy roasting up a prime rib.
- While you can make these ribs for dinner in a day, you’ll end up with the smoothest sauce that manages to be both rich and light if you make them ahead — chilling these ribs overnight will leave you with a layer of fat that will lift right off the dish of ribs before you heat them back up again.
- And did I mention that the leftovers also taste amazing? Any of the slow cooked beef you don’t eat make an incredible ragù tossed with pappardelle.
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- When you’re trimming the ribs, don’t remove every last bit of fat. We want to remove the bulk of it as short ribs can be really fatty, but I always leave a bit on as I found removing all the fat removed some of the richness from the finished dish.
- Don’t skip searing the beef. I’ve tested it both ways, and you’ll get tasty short ribs skipping this step but you could really taste the difference, so take the time to get it right for something truly delicious!
- Don’t panic when the sauce is thin when it comes out of the slow cooker, that was always going to happen with this cooking method. This is why we finish the ribs on the stovetop, it’s an essential step!
- Cook the short ribs on low if you can. Both high and low will work for this recipe, but I found that cooking the ribs very low and slow yielded the most fall-apart, never dry meat.
- Make sure you don’t add the polenta too quickly. Pour it in a thin stream while whisking, otherwise you’ll get lumps which will be really hard to beat out. My polenta has got so much better since I discovered this trick!
Ingredients
Bone in beef short ribs – English cut. English cut ribs are thick, meaty, single-bone pieces, different to flanken-style ribs, which are cut across the bone into thin strips with several small bone sections. They’ll overcook and turn dry if you use them in this recipe.
Olive oil – Or any other neutral cooking oil to brown the meat and soften the vegetables.
Yellow onion, carrots and celery – All diced to form a soffritto base for the short ribs.
Garlic cloves – Smashed. If you’re going to all the effort of making short ribs, you really want to be using fresh garlic in the braise, and it is non-negotiable for the gremolata.
Tomato paste – This adds richness and depth to the braise without the full-on tomato flavor of adding canned tomatoes.
Red wine – Choose something like a Cabernet, Côtes du Rhône or Merlot. You want something you’d like to drink (not cooking wine designed just for cooking which has added salt), but nothing to fancy.
Low-sodium beef broth – I prefer a low-sodium broth as it makes it easier to control the amount of salt in the overall dish. You could sub chicken broth as we’ve got it open for the polenta, but you won’t get as rich a flavor.
Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce – These will add depth and acidity to the braise.
Fresh thyme and rosemary – Please do use fresh here as dried herbs simply won’t add the same restaurant-style quality to the short ribs.
Bay leaves – You can use fresh or dried here, but if you are using fresh make sure they come from a trusted source as visually they are very similar to laurel leaves, which are toxic.
Coarse-ground polenta – Not instant, which absorbs totally different amounts of water.
Low-sodium chicken broth – To add depth to the polenta. In a pinch you could also use vegetable broth. Do make sure it is low-sodium through as we’re measuring the salt for the polenta and extra salt in the broth will throw the whole dish off.
Whole milk – This will make the polenta creamy. Half fat milk would also work, but avoid skimmed.
Butter – Choose unsalted for preference, this will add a rich finish to the polenta.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese – Please grate your own here, as pre-grated cheese comes tossed with anti-caking agents which will make your polenta thick and gluey.
Fresh parsley – For the gremolata. Flat leaf is better than curly English-style parsley.
Lemon zest – This will add freshness and lift the gremolata without making it watery.
Olive oil – It doesn’t need to be extra virgin, but choose a nice one for bringing the gremolata together.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
This dish of short ribs is a complete meal, but if you want to add some more vegetables I’d keep it really simple with something like roasted kale or air fryer green beans so there are no conflicting flavors getting in the way of that delicious short rib sauce.
If you don’t like polenta, you can also make this dish with mashed potatoes, risotto, or buttered egg noodles.
Reheat leftovers gently on the stove or in the Crockpot on low (only do this once!) As mentioned, leftover ribs make incredible ragù tossed with pappardelle, and leftover gremolata would also taste great spooned over the top. Leftover polenta can be made into polenta fries.
All of the leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and leftover short ribs will freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Replace the wine with an extra cup of beef broth. The sauce will taste slightly less complex but still rich. Wine does also add acidity, so taste it at the end as you may want to add a tiny splash more of balsamic, or a little red wine vinegar to make up for this.
I’d not recommend it as frozen meat spends too long in the temperature “danger zone” in a slow cooker. Thaw them overnight in the fridge first, then pat them very dry before searing.
It should be, as polenta is naturally gluten free but do check the ingredients on your Worcestershire sauce and broths as some brands may contain gluten.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Slow Cooker Short Ribs over Creamy Polenta
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
For the Short Ribs
- 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs English cut, see notes
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 6 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine such as Cabernet or Merlot
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 2 bay leaves
For the Polenta
- 1 cup coarse-ground polenta not instant
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the Gremolata
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For Serving
- Flaky salt
- Extra Parmesan for shaving over the top
Instructions
For the Short Ribs
- Trim any thick, hard caps of fat off the short ribs, then pat them very dry and season on all sides with the salt and pepper. Dry meat is the key to a good sear, and trimming now means less grease in your sauce later.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deeply browned all over. Don't crowd the pan, and don't rush this step, because the browning is where the rich, roasted flavor comes from. Transfer the ribs to the Crockpot as they finish.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the paste darkens to a brick red. Pour in the wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes, until reduced by about half, then stir in the broth, balsamic, and Worcestershire.
- Pour the vegetables and liquid over the ribs in the Crockpot and tuck in the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. The ribs should be mostly submerged but not covered completely. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.
- Carefully transfer the ribs to a plate and tent with foil. Remove the herb stems and bay leaves from the Crockpot. Tilt the Crockpot and skim the fat from the surface of the liquid with a wide spoon, going over it a few times until most of the shiny layer is gone. This is what keeps the sauce rich instead of greasy. Pour the remaining liquid and vegetables into a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until reduced and glossy enough to coat a spoon. For a smooth sauce, blend it with an immersion blender first. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then return the ribs to the sauce to rewarm.
For the Polenta
- About 30 minutes before serving, make the polenta. Bring the chicken broth, milk, and salt to a gentle simmer in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta in a thin stream so it doesn’t clump. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until thick, creamy, and tender with no gritty bite. If it gets too thick, whisk in a splash of warm broth or milk. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan. Taste and adjust the salt.
For the Gremolata
- Stir the parsley, lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil together in a small bowl.
Serving
- Spoon a generous mound of polenta into shallow bowls, nestle a short rib on top, and spoon the sauce over everything. Finish with a spoonful of the gremolata, a pinch of flaky salt, and shaved Parmesan.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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