Beef Short Ribs with Gravy – Tender and Flavorful Recipe

Beef short ribs with mashed potatoes and gravy served on a plate.
3 Beef Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Mushroom & Onion Gravy on a red plate.

Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs

If you’ve ever wondered why the large beef ribs don’t have much meat on their bones, it’s because they’re the rib bones that are cut away from Prime Rib/Ribeye steaks. So, if any more meat was left on the bones, it would take away from those steaks. To get a meaty Beef Rib, you need to pick up some short ribs. They usually weigh about 4 lbs but they slow roast and/or smoke beautifully.

That being said, this is one of the best and easiest ways to prepare Beef Short Ribs, without a lot of hassle. There’s hardly any prep work, a little bit of after cooking to make the gravy but the hardest thing about this recipe is the waiting. It takes 10 hours to cook these ribs, in a slow cooker, to get them juicy and tender. But, it’s worth it!

1 package of 8 beef short ribs.
1 package of raw Beef Short Ribs, wrapped in plastic, with a detailed sticker of the contents, weight & price.

Purchasing Beef Short Ribs

Sometimes these cuts aren’t easy to find and if you find them they can be a bit pricey. They’re often cut into singles with an average of 8 Riblet portions but, sometimes, the ribs can be bought as a whole. If you’re lucky, you have a butcher that will cut them by your request or, at least, offer both.

If you can’t find short ribs or you need a cheaper alternative, I suggest you purchase a thick Beef Chuck that can be cut into rib size portions, with all of the connection tissue, that could imitate good short ribs. We’ll call it, Poor Man’s Short Ribs!

Beef Short Ribs are very meaty and popular among barbecue enthusiasts because of it. They are terrific when they’re smoked on a grill and just good but different, if they’re slow roasted in the oven or in a Slow Cooker. Today, I’m going to show you a simple method I like to use in my old school Crock Pot.

8 raw beef short ribs removed from their plastic packaging.
8 raw Beef Short Ribs on a foam packaging plate, on the counter top.

Roasting Short Ribs

Rib meat can be very tough when it’s cooked at higher temperatures for shorter amounts of time. That’s why the preferred method is to smoke or roast for a slow amount of time and at lower temps. Both smoking and roasting embrace this methodology and I’m a big fan of the process, myself.

My Crock Pot (slow cooker), however, is old. Like 80’s old but that’s the era that made the best slow cookers. They have a heavy glass lid that traps the steam in so you don’t have to add any liquid to keep the meat from drying out. If you’ve got one of the newer slow cookers, that requires the addition of liquid as you roast, then you need to follow those cooking instructions along with this recipe, to get the same results.

Close-up of tender beef short ribs covered with cooked mushrooms, onions and diced sweet pappers.
Large white bowl filled with all of the cooked Beef Short Ribs and bits of Mushroom, Onion and Bell Pepper.

I season and sear all of the Beef Short Ribs, in a pan with Olive Oil, before I add them to the Crock Pot. Then I add chopped onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and parsley. Again, no liquid unless your slow cooker requires it. After 10 hours of cooking on low, I separate the Ribs from the liquid (above pic).

Gravy made from the roast drippings and Mushrooms and Sweet Pepper.
Large pan with Garlic Mushroom, Onion and Bell Pepper Brown Gravy, made from the Roast drippings.

Making the Gravy

I use the liquid, from the crock pot to make the gravy. I make a small garlic and butter based roux before I add the liquid, including all of the chopped and roasted veggies. If a deeper and more complex flavor is desired, a splash of red wine or a small amount of tomato paste can be added. I’ve had it both ways, they’re both great but I prefer it without either.

More Similar Recipes:

Smoked Boneless Beef Prime Rib, Smoked Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs, Smoked Beef Rib Roast, Barbecue Beef Ribs, Chicken & Gravy Slow cooker recipe. Top 5 Slow cooker Recipes, Bloody Mary Roast with Gravy.

How to cook Beef Short Ribs with Gravy video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Beef Short Ribs with Gravy Ingredients:

Lightly season Beef with Kosher Salt and Pepper

Gravy Ingredients:

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Season the beef short ribs with kosher salt and pepper. Sear all sides in a hot pan until browned.
  2. Add sliced onion, bell pepper, chopped mushrooms, and parsley to the slow cooker. Top with the seared short ribs.
  3. Cook on low for 10 hours.
  4. Once cooked, remove the short ribs from the slow cooker and set them aside.
  5. In a large pan on the stove, melt the butter. Add the chopped garlic and flour, stirring for 1 minute until it forms a paste and starts to brown.
  6. Add the slow cooker juice, including all vegetables and herbs, to the pan. Cook and stir over high heat until the gravy thickens.
  7. Once thickened, reduce the heat to low.
  8. Serve the beef short ribs with gravy over mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Recommendations:

Slow Cookers, Roasting Pans, Pot’s & Pans, Skillets.

Easy Beef Stew with Ditalini

A green handled Bowl of Beef Stew with Ditalini pasta and a spoon.

The Best Beef Stew

You won’t be able to deny this stew, it’s that good. It’s very similar to a recipe I posted a few years ago but this really packs that stick to your ribs punch. I’m talking about comfort food that makes you feel so warm and cozy inside that you melt with each bite. As you can see by the title, I’ve also added a small italian soup noodle called “Ditalini” to make this recipe a little more filling and you’re going to love it. I’m telling you, Beef Stew can’t get much better.

Cooking the Beef and Vegetables

The most important thing to understand, in this recipe, is that everything must be seared. Sear the chopped onion, potatoes, carrots and certainly the beef. Also, be sure to season everything as you go with Kosher Salt and Pepper. The Beef is braised so it gets a dusting of all purpose flour, as well.

The fresh herbs I use in the video are slightly different than the written recipe, however, but it’s not a big enough difference to make a stink about. It’s just going to be up to your personal preference and how you like your Beef Stew to taste. In the video, I use 4 different fresh herbs, Bay leaf, Oregano, Thyme & Rosemary. In the written recipe, I only use 2 dry ingredients, Parsley & Thyme.

My wife claims to like the written recipe better, though, if it’s any consolation. You might even want to look into trying my Pork Loin and Hominy Stew. It’s delicious.

Easy Beef Stew with Ditalini video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Easy Beef Stew with Ditalini Ingredients:

3 tbsp Olive oil
1 1/2 lb Beef Chuck, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1/4 cup flour (all purpose), for the beef
1 Onion, Chopped 1/2″ pieces
2 tbsp Butter
2 Large Russet Potatoes, cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 Large Carrots, cut into 1/4″ pieces
1 qt Beef Broth
1/2 cup Spaghetti Sauce/Ragu
1 tbsp Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
2 cup Water
1 cup Ditalini pasta

Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Sautee the chopped Onion in butter for 5 minutes and season
with salt and Pepper. Add the Potato and Carrot, cook 10 minutes
and season again with salt and pepper, Parsley and Thyme.

Pre-season the cut beef with Kosher Salt and Pepper and mix
with the flour until fully coated. Remove the vegetables from the
pot, place in a bowl, add the Olive oil and meat to the pot and
sear the meat on all sides for 5 minutes over medium high heat.

Add the vegetables back to the pot and stir everything together.
Add the Beef Broth, Ragu and 1 cup of water. Stir and bring the
soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours,
stirring occasionally. After 2 hours add 1 more cup of water and the
Ditalini pasta. Simmer, covered, for one 1/2 hour, then serve.

Watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this delicious Roast Beef Stew with Ditalini recipe.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

One bowl of Chicken Sausage Gumbo served with a scoop of white rice.

The Best Gumbo

If you love Gumbo and you’ve been looking for an authentic recipe that’s easy and turns out perfect, every time, this is the recipe for you. If you’ve never tried Chicken and Sausage Gumbo before, this is the recipe for you. It’s got everything you need and starts with the most basic ingredients, the “Holy Trinity”; onion, celery and bell pepper.

1 package of smoked Andouille sausage and 1 package of 8 raw boneless chicken thighs.

Chicken, Sausage or Shrimp

This is a Chicken and Sausage Gumbo which consists of smoked Andouille sausage, a classic Cajun delight. But this recipe can be easily converted to a shrimp gumbo recipe if you simply swap the proteins out, pound for pound and season the shrimp the exact same way I recommend you season the chicken.

One pot of cooked Cajun style Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

The Love for cooking Gumbo

It’s important to note that any gumbo starts with making a roux, which is slowly cooked equal parts of oil and flour. This is the base of the flavor in any gumbo, and it takes a lot of patience to make because it’s constant stirring over medium heat for, approximately, 20 to 30 minutes.

In the south, or online, roux can be purchased pre-made in mayonnaise size jars just like the one I show you in the video tutorial. If you can get your hands on some, it saves a ton of time cooking this recipe and you can focus on the other ingredients, instead, that make this Chicken and Sausage Gumbo so amazing.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Ingredients: 4-6 servings

1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno, chopped (optional for spicy tastes)
2 Celery sticks, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
4 tbsp Roux, (4 tbsp vegetable oil 4 tbsp all purpose flour, cooked)
1/2 can Beer

Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tbsp Blackened Seasoning, on chicken
1 tsp Kosher Salt & Pepper mixed, on chicken
4 Boneless Chicken Thighs, sliced
1 lbs Andouille Sausage, sliced
1 qt Beef Broth
4 Bay Leaves
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, chopped

6 cups Long Grain Rice, steamed
Louisiana File Powder, a few dash’s for topping each serving

I designed this recipe to easily be doubled or tripled, if need be. Just follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.