Beer-Braised Short Ribs

Time and gentle heat are the secrets to turning tough short ribs into a blue-ribbon dinner. Cooked long enough at a slow enough temperature, the meaty ribs turn fork tender and deeply beefy. The demands of short ribs seem perfectly addressed by a slow cooker, but few of the slow cooker recipes we have tried measure up. The meat has tasted bland and looked pale, and so has the sauce. We wanted to find a way to coax out the best of short ribs in a slow cooker. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Fully brown the ribs for the deepest flavor and best color.
• Prunes are the secret ingredient in this stew, lending a mysterious depth and deep flavor.
• Braise the ribs in a dark, sweet beer like Newcastle brown ale. The bitterness of hoppy beers can affect the stew’s flavor.
• Add soy sauce to deepen the flavor and color of the stew.
• Use tapioca to thicken the stew rather than flour or cornstarch, which will make the sauce taste starchy.
• When time allows, prepare the dish ahead of time and refrigerate ribs and sauce separately to easily remove the fat.