Football season and the holidays are upon us, which means lots of parties, tailgates, and quality time with friends and family. Gatherings of any size require food. Lots of food, and often of the finger variety. These Sous Vide short rib sliders are great served as party appetizers or as the main dish, when you simply can’t get enough.
(This post may contain affiliate links but are products that I use and love!)
Who doesn’t love a slider? They’re the perfect size, usually requiring just one hand, leaving the other free to balance your plate of other goodies or to nurse your favorite beverage. It also leaves plenty of space in your belly to snack on other appetizers. But, you may not want to eat anything else once you get your hands on these Sous Vide short rib sliders.
We were given a Sous Vide as a gift some months ago and my husband, Seware, simply can’t get enough. As you may already know, he is obsessed with cooking meat. He’s also a huge fan of efficiency, which comes aplenty with this neat little device.
Sous vide means “under vacuum” in French, which is where this cooking technique got it’s name. The food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. This allows you to achieve precise results rather than accidentally over-cooking your food. For example, if you like your steak medium-rare but enjoy a nice, flavorful crisp on the outside, it can be extremely difficult to properly sear the outside while maintaining the right shade of pink on the inside. The Sous Vide produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method, as boasted by the brand. And rightly so.
It’s also super beneficial because it’s a drop-and-go kitchen tool. It’s like a slow cooker, in some ways, in that all you have to do is set it up and forget about it until your little mobile app tells you that the cooking time is up. The major difference is that your food won’t over-cook or burn, which is possible with a slow cooker.
We cooked these short ribs for an easy 24 hours at 185 degrees Fahrenheit, and let me tell you… my mouth was watering all day. When it was time to take them out of their bags to shred apart, I hardly even had to do any work. They just fell apart on their own into perfectly cooked pieces, ready to be piled onto my buns! You truly cannot beat the tenderness.
Couple perfect meat with to-die-for toppings and a seasoned bun and you’ve got some seriously mouthwatering short rib sliders.
Note: Don’t be shocked by the amount of beef recommended for this recipe. With short ribs, you aren’t left with nearly as much meat as you’d think! You lose about half of the weight in bones and fat, resulting in enough meat for a baking dish of sliders.
If you’re looking for other appetizers and small bites, try my Tomato Bruschetta with Garlic and Basil(a Life She Lives favorite!).
Yield: 12
Ingredients
For the Sous Vide
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 onions
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 lbs short ribs, (about 8)
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- A few sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Sliders
- 1 onion
- 1 carton sliced baby Portabella mushrooms
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp sugar
- 12 small buns
- 6-8 slices provolone
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere
For Top Bun
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp sauce from Sous Vide bag
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
Instructions
Steps
- In a baking dish, marinate short ribs in 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup beef broth, a sprinkle of fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- 1/4 cup beef broth, a sprinkle of fresh thyme and salt
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add sugar and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix and simmer for 8-10 more minutes, until onions are golden brown.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- In a plastic bag, place marinated short ribs, the liquid and the caramelized onions, making sure they're evenly distributed.
- Lay flat and seal the bag using a vacuum sealer.
- Place the sealed short ribs in the water bath to cook for 24 hours.
24 hours later
- Retrieve the short ribs from the water bath and pour the contents into a large bowl. Using your hands or a fork (which you shouldn't even need because it should be super tender!), shred the beef. You may be able to salvage a small bit of the first batch of onions, but they'll mostly be mush.
- Cut 1 onion into thin slices andcaramelize with sliced mushrooms in butter for 10 minutes. Add sugar and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Prepare a baking dish with cooking spray and line with the bottom half of the buns.
- Place a layer of provolone cheese, a generous layer of shredded beef, a layer of the caramelized onions and mushrooms, and a layer of shredded Gruyere cheese. Top with other half of the bun.
- Melt 1 tbsp of butter and mix with 3 tbsp of the liquid from the Sous Vide bag, garlic salt and onion powder.
- Brush the top buns with the mixture and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
- Bake sliders for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot!
[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Sous Vide French Onion Short Rib Sliders – – For the Sous Vide: Worcestershire sauce, onions, butter, sugar, garlic (minced), short ribs ((about 8)), Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, fresh thyme, Salt and pepper (to taste), For the Sliders: onion, sliced baby Portabella mushrooms, butter, sugar, buns, provolone, shredded Gruyere, For Top Bun: butter, sauce from Sous Vide bag, garlic salt, onion powder, fresh thyme, , Steps: Set your Sous Vide to 185 degrees Fahrenheit in a deep water bath (large saucepan, at minimum).; In a baking dish, marinate short ribs in 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup beef broth, a sprinkle of fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.; 1/4 cup beef broth, a sprinkle of fresh thyme and salt ; Reduce heat to medium-low and add sugar and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix and simmer for 8-10 more minutes, until onions are golden brown.; Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.; In a plastic bag, place marinated short ribs, the liquid and the caramelized onions, making sure they're evenly distributed.; Lay flat and seal the bag using a vacuum sealer.; Place the sealed short ribs in the water bath to cook for 24 hours.; 24 hours later: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.; Retrieve the short ribs from the water bath and pour the contents into a large bowl. Using your hands or a fork (which you shouldn't even need because it should be super tender!), shred the beef. You may be able to salvage a small bit of the first batch of onions, but they'll mostly be mush.; Cut 1 onion into thin slices andcaramelize with sliced mushrooms in butter for 10 minutes. Add sugar and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.; Prepare a baking dish with cooking spray and line with the bottom half of the buns.; Place a layer of provolone cheese, a generous layer of shredded beef, a layer of the caramelized onions and mushrooms, and a layer of shredded Gruyere cheese. Top with other half of the bun.; Melt 1 tbsp of butter and mix with 3 tbsp of the liquid from the Sous Vide bag, garlic salt and onion powder.; Brush the top buns with the mixture and sprinkle with fresh thyme.; Bake sliders for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot!; ; – – Appetizers & Snacks – Dinner – Recipes[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
