Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper. Place the ribs in an even layer in the slow cooker insert. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on low heat until the meat is tender, about 8 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ribs to serving platter. Discard the parsley and bay leaves. Spoon the fat off the top of the sauce and discard. Pour the sauce over the ribs. Serve with bread, if desired.
Notes
Serve with crusty bread to mop up all of the wonderful juices.
If you cannot locate short ribs at your market, ask your butcher. Often times, they have some in the back that they can cut for you- and they can trim off a lot of the fat too!