braised beef in tomatoes and red wine

serve beef chuck braised in tomatoes & red wine with homemade pasta & a leafy green salad . . . everyone at your table will rave.

there is an electronic stickie note on my computer screen that lists my husband's top 10 favorite dishes. last winter i started making beef short ribs braised in tomatoes & red wine, and it instantly shot up to the no.1 position. because it's easy to make in the slow cooker, and the leftovers go on&on, i give him his top pick about 4 times a quarter. here is just how easy it is:

• 3-4 lbs. of beef chuck short ribs (boneless)

• kosher salt & course ground pepper

rinse the meat under cool water & pat dry. rub it with a generous amount of kosher salt & coarse ground pepper. layer the meat in a slow cooker with:

• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 3-4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• about 3/4 cup of red wine

• 1 veg. bouillon cube

• 2 bay leaves

add enough water to just cover the meat - slow cook on low for eight hours.

the slow cooker makes the meat tender & succulent. jim's approval is audible whenever i serve him his top pick– with a cross between a "grunt" & an "mmm".