Matthew Mead, The Associated PressThis Oct. 6, 2014 photo shows red wine braised slow cooker short ribs in Concord, N.H. There is not a way to brown meat or vegetables within the moist confines of a slow cooker, which means that those ingredients will require some time in the skillet beforehand. Praise the braise, the method of cooking meat in a wet environment (versus the dry place that an oven is).