Braised Short Ribs
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Best ever red wine braised short ribs. So tender, so fall-off-the-bone amazing. Serve over mashed potatoes – SO SO GOOD.
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Red wine braised short ribs – the ultimate fall-off-the-bone comfort food this winter (or any time of the year, really). These bad boys are cooked low and slow in the oven with an initial sear for that caramelized goodness and sealed in moisture (very important not to skip this step).
Serve for company, for friends, for family, or for date night. It finishes just under 4 hours (with minimal prep), making this the most perfect make-ahead meal. The end result is a cozy, comfort-in-a-bowl, fancy meal with the least amount of work. Truly restaurant-worthy right at home.
tips and tricks for success
- Patience. Making short ribs is a labor of love. Do not try to rush the process and increase the heat for faster results. Low and slow is the name of the game here.
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for slow cooking and even heat distribution. A tight fitting lid also traps all the lovely moisture inside, yielding the most tender short ribs.
- Sear the meat. Searing the short ribs first will add all the extra, deeper flavors here, sealing all the juices inside.
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry red wine (cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or merlot) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
what to serve with braised short ribs
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Braised Short Ribs: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using bone-in short ribs as they have a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful beef but boneless short ribs can be substituted.
Additional beef stock can be used for red wine as a non-alcoholic substitute. Stock will be less acidic and more mild in flavor than red wine.
A dry red wine is best, such as cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or merlot.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in short ribs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Season beef with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Working one at a time, dredge in flour.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Working in batches, add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 10-15 minutes; set aside. Drain excess fat, reserving 2 tablespoons in the Dutch oven.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, beef stock and balsamic vinegar, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in thyme, rosemary and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer. Top with beef, bone-side up.
- Place into oven, covered, and bake until beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Set beef aside; keep warm.
- Skim any remaining fat from surface and discard. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve beef with juices immediately with mashed potatoes, if desired.
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Delicious! Highly recommend. Easy to make and the beef was tender and off the bone. Full of flavor.
Love this recipe! I was unsure at first, but once it came out of the oven and onto the plate, it was delicious! My daughter is in Boy Scouts and wants to make this for her troop. What would you use in place of red wine if you were making this alcohol free?
We love hearing that, Stephanne! Additional beef stock can be used for red wine as a non-alcoholic substitute. Stock will be less acidic and more mild in flavor than red wine. We hope the troop loves it!
Absolutely delish. Better than ANY restaurant and easy to prepare.
Fabulous and we added pearl onions to the mix !
Amazing! What a show stopping platter of short ribs this recipe delivered! They were melt in your mouth, fall off the bone delicious! I will absolutely make them again, except next time, I will sear them the day before (that took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I did triple the recipe)!
Such an easy recipe to follow and the end result, you look like a rock star cook! Thank you for an outstanding recipe!
Hi- I need 7 servings. Do I double every ingredient in the recipe? Thanks
Looking to try this with boneless short ribs. Some asked but no reply. Please give me your thoughts.
We used boneless prime short ribs and it was wonderful. I cut them into 3 x 2 and 2 x 2″ pieces and floured and seared them like in the recipe. They stayed together, but they came apart easily with a fork. The only thing I might do differently is put the rosemary and thyme sprigs in mesh so it is easy to take out when serving. I made mushroom risotto to go with it and it paired perfectly with the short ribs and sauce.
The best braised short ribs ever! The sauce offered a complex flavor profile and the meat was very tender. I put in more carrots as they absorb the flavor of the sauce which we loved. This is now my “go to” recipe for short ribs!
This was so delicious! I followed it exactly and it was so tender and flavorful! This is a restaurant go-to and now a great addition to the Sunday dinner rotation.
Can u make this recipe in a slow cooker?
Second time making this recipe, I had to double it! Not one bit leftover! So delicous.
This is a fabulous recipe. It is gourmet cooking at its best! Use a big cabernet and fresh herbs. The kitchen smells good the whole way through!
A new family favorite. Great recipe.
Want to make this today but need to double the recipe. Do I double up on all of the ingredients?
Looked over quite a few recipes, and I like where this one sits. Going to try tonight or tomorrow. Any suggestions to church it up any further? A specific red wine you like?
I have not yet made this; I will a little later today because it is only 10 AM. But I just wanted you to know I searched for the perfect recipe, including Ina Garten, Thomas Keller, Williams-Sonoma, New York Times, and I decided yours was perfect. I don’t want to marinate overnight, I don’t want to use a can of tomatoes, and I don’t want to use shallots. I’m planning to serve over a creamy polenta, but the mashed sounds delightful as well. Thanks in advance. Soon my kitchen will be smelling like heaven. Perfect for early February.
Has anyone made this the night before and then slowly reheated on stove the next day?
The leftovers, when there are any, taste even better the next day!
I only ever make this the day before and reheat it slowly. It’s better the next day, like most stews and soups.
Sandi, where can I pause this to finish it up tomorrow? So far I’ve gone through the covered baking. I was going to put the ribs and a little broth in ziploc overnight and let the broth and vegies cool, then refrigerate so I can take the fat off more easily tomorrow. That would leave me just simmering the broth to half tomorrow. I’m hoping I can just put the ribs in shortly before that’s completed so they’ll warm up nicely. Your thoughts?
This was a huge hit with the teens! Such an easy, cozy comfort meal!
6 hrs min cook time, especially at altitude! Flavor is amazing
In the oven now!!! Love the smells, can’t wait to taste it!!!