Beef · Slow cooker adaptation

Slow Cooker Michelin Star Beef Short Ribs (Daniel Boulud)

Braised meat often gets dismissed as easy winter fare, but short ribs, when treated properly, rival any premium cut. This French classic, still served at a two Michelin star restaurant, starts with something radical: a bottle of good red wine reduced to sweetness, then braises meat so tough and fatty it transforms into something insanely delicious.

R By Richard · Adapted from YouTube · Published 28 May 2026
⏱Prep 40 min
🍲Slow cook 9 hr (Low) / 5 hr (High)
🍽Serves 4
Michelin Star Beef Short Ribs at Home

Source video by YouTube on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is a slow cooker take on the classic French red wine braised short rib by Daniel Boulud, still served at his two Michelin star restaurant. Short ribs are packed with collagen and marbled fat, which break down beautifully over long, low cooking to produce meltingly tender meat and an intensely glossy sauce. The original is oven-braised at 140°C for four hours, which translates naturally to a slow cooker. The sauce is finished on the hob with whole grain mustard and sherry vinegar to balance the richness, then plated over celeriac puree.

Slow cooker notes: Original recipe is oven-braised at 140°C for 4 hours under a cartouche. Adapted to slow cooker: browning the meat, sweating the shallots and veg, reducing the wine and cooking out the tomato puree are still done in a pan to develop the Maillard and caramelisation flavours the chef emphasises. The braise itself is transferred to the slow cooker. Stock quantity not stated in the source, so left as null. The 30-40 minute rest in the cooking liquid is preserved.

Editor's note: Most quantities were not stated in the transcript. Set to null: red wine, flour, shallots, leek, celery, carrots, beef stock, herbs, whole grain mustard, sherry vinegar, celeriac, potatoes, milk, salt and pepper. Only tomato puree (2 tbsp) and garlic (2 cloves) were specified. Short rib count given as 'four little nuggets' so quantity is 4 pieces. Specific herb varieties not named in transcript. Celeriac puree method described only as celeriac and potatoes cooked down with milk and blended. Confidence lowered due to many missing quantities. | Second-pass critique flagged 3 fabricated and 8 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.

Ingredients

Short ribs
  • 4 piecesbeef short ribs, ask butcher to cut in half if very long
  • plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for coating
  • salt and pepper
Braise
  • red wine, reduced separately until syrupy
  • shallots, roughly chopped
  • leek, roughly chopped
  • celery, roughly chopped
  • carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 clovesgarlic, crushed with the side of a spoon
  • 2 tbsptomato puree
  • good quality beef stock
  • fresh herbs
Finishing the sauce
  • whole grain mustard (add late)
  • sherry vinegar (add late)
Celeriac puree
  • celeriac, peeled and chopped
  • potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • milk

Method

  1. In a saucepan, bring the red wine to a gentle boil and reduce it until the sourness has gone and the liquid is syrupy, about the consistency of blackcurrant cordial. Set aside.

    ~15 min

  2. Pat the short ribs dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper, then coat each rib in the seasoned flour.

    ~5 min

  3. Heat a heavy pan over a medium heat (not too hot). Brown the short ribs slowly on all sides until a deep golden crust forms. Remove and set aside.

    ~15 min

  4. Add the shallots to the same pan, cover with a lid and turn the heat down. Let them sweat and release their juices, deglazing the bottom of the pan, then continue until golden and caramelised.

    ~10 min

  5. Add the leek, celery, carrots and crushed garlic. Cook gently until softened, scraping any fond from the base of the pan and being careful not to burn it.

    ~8 min

  6. Stir in the tomato puree and cook it out for a minute or two, stirring constantly so it does not catch.

    ~2 min

  7. Take the pan off the heat. Return the short ribs to the pan, pour in the reduced red wine and the beef stock, and add the herbs.

    ~3 min

  8. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, making sure the ribs are submerged in the liquid. Cook on Low for around 9 hours or High for around 5 hours, until the meat is meltingly tender and easily pulls from the bone.

  9. Turn the slow cooker off and leave the ribs to rest in the sauce, lid on, for 30 to 45 minutes until the steaming stops. This keeps the meat moist.

    ~40 min

  10. Carefully lift the short ribs out, keeping each piece whole and the bones intact. Set aside in a warm place.

    ~5 min

  11. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan, leaving the vegetables behind. Do not press them through, or the sauce will be cloudy. Leave the fat in the sauce rather than skimming it.

    ~5 min

  12. Bring the sauce to the boil and reduce it gently until thick, deep and glossy. Do not overdo it or it will become too intense.

    ~10 min

  13. Make a slurry: ladle a little of the hot sauce into a small bowl, whisk in the whole grain mustard and sherry vinegar, then stir this back into the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning, balancing the sweetness with acidity.

    ~3 min

  14. For the puree, cook the celeriac and potatoes gently with milk until completely tender, then blend until smooth and glossy.

    ~25 min

  15. To serve, spoon the celeriac puree across each plate and create a divot with the back of a ladle. Place a short rib in the centre and spoon the glossy sauce over and around.

    ~3 min

Frequently asked

Do I really need to brown the short ribs first?
Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than brown, so the deep colour and flavour of this sauce comes from the Maillard crust on the meat and the caramelisation of the vegetables and tomato puree before everything goes into the pot.
Why reduce the wine separately?
Reducing the wine on the hob drives off the raw sourness and concentrates the sweetness, which a slow cooker cannot do on its own because the lid traps liquid rather than letting it evaporate.
Can I cook this overnight?
Yes. Low for around 9 hours works well. The chef notes that an even lower 85°C oven for 10 hours is ideal for braised meat, and the slow cooker Low setting mimics that gentle approach.
Why leave the fat in the sauce?
The chef specifically recommends not skimming it. The rendered fat from the short ribs carries a lot of the flavour and helps give the finished sauce its glossy, rich quality.
What can I serve instead of celeriac puree?
Creamy mashed potato, polenta or buttered mash with horseradish all work well, since you want something smooth and mellow to carry the rich sauce.
Extraction notes (transparency): Most quantities were not stated in the transcript. Set to null: red wine, flour, shallots, leek, celery, carrots, beef stock, herbs, whole grain mustard, sherry vinegar, celeriac, potatoes, milk, salt and pepper. Only tomato puree (2 tbsp) and garlic (2 cloves) were specified. Short rib count given as 'four little nuggets' so quantity is 4 pieces. Specific herb varieties not named in transcript. Celeriac puree method described only as celeriac and potatoes cooked down with milk and blended. Confidence lowered due to many missing quantities. | Second-pass critique flagged 3 fabricated and 8 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.