Is there anything cozier or heartier than a bowl of fall-apart-tender short ribs, packed with flavor, juices draping over creamy polenta? Not in my world, there’s not, but short ribs in the summer need a little extra fresh flavor to fully integrate.
Enter: rhubarb short ribs with goat cheese-chive polenta. Italics required for emphasis of deliciousness. Oh, but it’s summer, and I just don’t want to spend hours over the stove, simmering, stirring… none of that. So the short ribs are braised to perfection in the slow cooker, so I can set it and forget it dream about it all day.
The goat cheese polenta is as easy as making oatmeal, with the magic happening when you stir in crumbled goat cheese and fresh chives.
OK, but let’s talk about the rhubarb-and-strawberry-jam-ness with these short ribs. Sound too offbeat? Too sweet? No, I get it. Except the rhubarb just adds a beautiful depth of flavor and seasonality, and the strawberry jam supports her and adds the lightest ever touch of sweetness and fruitiness, when we’d normally go with a spoonful of brown sugar to bring out the richness of the short rib.
You can also just skip the rhubarb, especially since we’re on the tail end of her season, but if you’ve got it? Go with it.
I just love this dish so very much, and even my kids gobbled it down. Considering they’re chicken nugget kids, not fancy food Instagram kids with plates of various farmer’s-market veggies at every meal, that’s saying something.
Why you’ll love this: It’s surprisingly easy to make but as impressive as it is simple to prep.
Perfect for: A hearty summer dinner when you need a full bowl of comfort food, but make it restaurant-quality and seasonal.
What you do: Sear the short ribs in a hot pan with some oil, then transfer them to your slow cooker. Sauté some onions, garlic, and tomato paste, then deglaze and pour over short ribs. Top the mixture with pretty much everything else, cover, and cook on low or high, while you forget all about it. Right before you’re ready to eat, boil some water, then slowly stir in your polenta until it’s thick and creamy. Keep the heat low and stir in crumbled goat cheese and fresh chopped chives. Spoon the polenta into serving bowls then top with 1-2 short ribs and plenty of sauce. Devour.
The short ribs: I use bone-in short ribs, but you can use boneless too.
The rhubarb: It’s optional but encouraged. If you’re out of rhubarb season, frozen chopped rhubarb works well. It’s also very OK to skip it!
Storage: These leftovers are exquisite, so keep the short ribs and polenta stored separately in airtight containers and reheat slowly, stirring often. You may need to stir in extra liquid, like chicken broth or half and half, to return the polenta to its originally creamy texture.
Slow Cooker Rhubarb Short Ribs with Goat Cheese-Chive Polenta
Serves 4
For the short ribs:
3 lbs boneless beef short ribs
Lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced or chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
¾ cup red wine (or sub beef broth)
1 ½ cups beef broth (or 2 1/4 cups beef broth if not using red wine)
2 cups chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
2 Tbsp. strawberry jam
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Optional: sprig of thyme or rosemary, for garnish
For the goat cheese polenta:
1 cup polenta (coarse ground cornmeal)
4 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. butter
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sear the short ribs (optional but recommended): Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Season short ribs with salt and pepper, then sear until browned on all sides, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Ready the aromatics: In the same pan, sauté onions until softened. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with red wine and scrape up any browned bits. Pour mixture into the slow cooker.
Slow cook: Add beef broth, rhubarb, brown sugar, salt and pepp, balsamic vinegar, and herbs to the slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until short ribs are fork-tender, meat is falling off the bone, and the sauce is a bit thickened. If the sauce is too thin, transfer it to a small saucepan and simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes to thicken while you prepare the polenta.
Make the goat cheese polenta: Bring 4 cups of water or broth to a boil. Slowly whisk in polenta, then reduce heat to low. Stir often for 20–30 minutes, until thick and creamy. Stir in butter, goat cheese, chives, and season to taste. 6. Serve: Spoon polenta into shallow bowls, top with short ribs and a generous amount of rhubarb glaze. Finish with a sprinkle of chives or fresh herbs.