Short ribs really have the most tender meat when slow cooked in the crockpot and being on the bone, adds a great depth of flavor. What makes this recipe Tuscan? First and foremost it’s simple food with real, good quality, local ingredients. They cook a lot with fresh herbs, like rosemary, and fresh vegetables like fennel, carrots and onions along with flavor enhancers like fresh garlic, and of course a good red wine from the region. Short ribs cook down a lot and the meat shrinks on the bone, so they will be quite a bit small than when they’ve finished cooking. I like to serve 2 short ribs per person. This recipe comes with built-in gravy. If you are familiar with my roast chicken, you know I’m all about making gravy as meat cooks. To thicken the gravy, I like to use corn starch, not flour. When you use flour to thicken a gravy or sauce, it is best practice to ‘cook’ the flour in a little oil or butter first to take out the raw flavor. We don’t have the option to do this with this dish, so corn starch is used and perfect for thickening at the end.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Short Ribs Serving Suggestion
Keeping the Italian theme, my favorite way to serve these beauties is over creamy polenta. Mash potato is also a delicious option.
Tuscan Short Ribs in the Dutch oven
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can easily use the same recipe and use a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Details in the recipe.
