Mmm. Coffee. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you can’t deny that the smell alone makes you weak in the knees. And if you can deny that? Well, I’m sorry, but we probably can’t be friends.
In this recipe, the union of coffee and chile powder bring a subtle, smoky flavor to the short ribs. They’re not spicy, they’re not overly seasoned, and they’re rich without being rich.
The bonus of braising short ribs is that you’re cooking the rib meat sandwiched between drippy, delicious fat and the bone, so you get the most juicy, tender meat.
Are you ready to braise your own, Seattle Style?
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs. beef short ribs (grass-finished if you can get ’em)
- Sea Salt & freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil of your choice (we used bacon lard)
- 1 Cup of Dry White Wine (We’ve also used Red wine and it’s equally delicious – choose your favorite!)
- 1 Cup of Strong Brewed Coffee
- 1 large Yellow Onion, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon dried Oregano
Instructions:
- Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
- Add the ribs and brown until golden, turning them once, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the ribs to a paper-towel lined plate.
- Pour the wine and coffee into the skillet. Cook over high heat, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom, until the sauce is reduced by one forth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Put the ribs, onion, garlic, 2 teaspoons Sea Salt, chili powder, and oregano in a slow cooker. Pour in the wine sauce and cook, covered, on low for 4-5 hours, until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
- Transfer the ribs and sauce to a serving dish and serve.
Browning the Ribs
Our “strong cup of coffee” was a double-shot Americano
The white wine came from our friend’s wine shop, Fles Wine, in Gilman Village.
Wine and coffee working together…
Everything in the Crock Pot, ready to cook.
Just a couple of hours later, the meat’s falling off the bone!
All done! oops… forgot our side veggie…
Ah, there it is! Spaghetti Squash with Braised Short Ribs :)
This recipe was inspired by Paula Deen.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE RECIPE FOR SEATTLE STYLE SHORT RIBS!
Happy eating! Joey
Sleep Love Eat 
Thank you for posting such detailed photos! Can’t wait to try it out in my new kitchen after I move. Maybe this will be the celebratory dish!
Thanks Joey for the encouragement and receipies . We have been following Paleo for 4 months now and are always looking for new ideas to cook good food. We will try this one.
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Hi Joey, this looks delicious! Any recommendations for people who don’t have a slow cooker? Would a dutch oven on a low flame work as well?
That would likely work, as well as slow-roasting it in the oven in your dutch oven. Just do your best based on the size of pieces of meat you have to work with. You might want to check out the cooking instructions for our Goulash as that might be perfect… http://paleogirls.com/2010/11/11/oh-my-goulash/
Oh my gosh….im drooling;) trying this tomorrow!
Sounds delicious. Sorry if this has been discussed before, but isn’t wine unpaleo? Especially for those on strict “no sugar”. Is there a reason this is allowed or perhaps an alternative?
Hi Megan – great question. Yes, wine does carry a small carbohydrate count (2-6 grams per glass). As a type 1 diabetic, I am very cautious as to what everything I eat counts for, every carb must be counted. However, with this recipe, there was only 1 cup used, and it was for the marinade – not to drink straight – so the only amount consumed would be whatever soaked into the ribs. I considered that to be such a trace amount that I did not account for it in my insulin dose, and my blood sugar did not rise after this meal. Wine helps get the bits off the bottom of the skillet after the searing which is why it is used here, but if you want to avoid it completely, you could replace this amount of liquid with chicken or beef stock and that would probably taste just as nice in the recipe.
I tried this last night and it was AMAZING! We’ve been struggling with cooking our grass fed beef properly- we get tough meat too often. This was tender & delicious. Thank you! :)
This may sound like a dumb question but when you pull the meat out of the oil and then mix in the wine & coffee, do you first dump the oil or leave it in the skillet to mix w/ the wine & coffee? Sorry about the confusion but I was curious.
Good question – I leave it in the pan. There really wasn’t much left after searing the ribs, but the purpose of the wine is to deglaze the pan and use all those tasty bits in the marinade for the slow-cooker.
Gastronomic bliss! Thank you so much for posting this delicious recipe. I used vermouth instead of white wine ( as I had none on hand) and served with turnips mashed in butter.
Soooooogooood!
Fabulous meal! Found it via thefoodee.com and glad I did. Thanks
Sounds delicious. How much garlic do you use? (It’s in the instructions but not in the ingredient list.)
Hi John – good catch! So sorry I forgot that! I believe I used 4 cloves of pressed garlic. There is no right or wrong with this – if you love garlic, add as much as you want, if you’re not a big fan (or have a hot date) maybe go a little lighter.
I went with 2 cloves of garlic for about 2.5 lbs. of ribs. The flavor was wonderful, but I think they needed to cook much longer. Nothing was anywhere near falling off the bone.
Unless your slow cooker gets unusually hot, I’d estimate that 4-5 hours on high (or 8-10 on low) would be about right. Those are the ballpark figures I see in just about every other crock pot short rib recipe.
My wife made this tonight and it was truly terrific. Had smashed plantains and the jus from the ribs moistened them nicely. A side of berries (strawberried, raspberries and blackberries) and bananas completed a great meal
Outstanding! I’d like to try this preparation with another cut of meat besides the short ribs. Ever try that? Pot roast perhaps?
Hi Jenn – yes, I think pot roast would be great with these flavors! Just be sure to slow cook it longer (6-8 hours on low) for the larger size.