My delicious braised beef short ribs are slow-cooked with fresh herbs in a red wine-infused braising liquid for an incredibly tender main dish! I like to serve these mouthwatering ribs over mashed potatoes for a complete comfort food dinner. Though preparing braised or roasted meats can feel intimidating, this recipe is so easy– and your oven does all the heavy lifting.
To make this show-stopping main dish, you only need one cooking pot, about 30 minutes of active cooking time, and then let the oven do the rest. Tougher cuts of meat, such as beef ribs, respond well to low and slow cooking. Low heat over a long period allows the meat’s connective tissue and collagen to break down, making it tender, juicy, and delicious. For more classic gourmet meals, check out my beef tenderloin, roast beef, and beef Bourguignon.
Ingredients
Beef Short Ribs — you need about 4 pounds of bone-in beef ribs. This recipe uses English-style short ribs, which are cut parallel to the bone. If you can’t find them in the grocery store’s refrigerator case, ask at the butcher counter to have them cut for you.
Tomato Paste — adds savory flavor with a naturally sweet finish, intensifying the red wine sauce’s depth.
Red Wine — choose a dry red wine with a robust flavor profile, such as cabernet sauvignon, chianti, pinot noir, or zinfandel. Though you don’t need top-shelf wine, I recommend a good wine to drink instead of cooking wine.
Beef Broth — for the braising liquid. You can substitute beef stock or make broth by mixing beef bouillon with boiling water.
Vegetables — chopped carrots, onions, and celery add flavor and color to the dish and texture to the red wine sauce.
Herbs — fresh thyme and rosemary and a dried bay leaf simmer in the braising liquid, deepening the flavor of the sauce. Tie the fresh herb sprigs in a bundle with butcher’s twine for the easiest removal before serving.
Garlic — fresh, smashed garlic turns nutty and sweet when roasted, giving the beef a mouthwatering aroma and flavor. To smash it, separate the cloves from the base, place the side of a large chef’s knife on it, and carefully but firmly press down on the chef’s knife with the palm of your hand until you feel the clove give. Discard the skin.
How To Make Braised Beef Short Ribs
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the ribs generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each short rib in the flour, coating it on all sides.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the olive oil, then half of the short ribs in a single layer, leaving space between each rib. Sear the short ribs on all sides until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes total. Set the short ribs aside on a plate. Repeat with the second batch, reducing to medium heat if the brown bits on the bottom of the pot get too dark. Remove the pot from the heat. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, remove all but two tablespoons.
3. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are slightly softened.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized. Stir in the red wine. Cook until reduced in half, about 8 minutes.
5. Add the beef stock and reserved short ribs.
6. Tie the herbs into a small bundle with butcher’s twine and add to the pot. Return to a simmer.
7. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours. You will know the braised short ribs are ready when the meat is fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone.
8. Remove the herb bundle and skim any fat from the top of the braising liquid. Season it with more salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve the short ribs over mashed potatoes with a drizzle of the sauce and some of the vegetables.
What To Know When Buying Short Ribs
Beef short ribs come from the lower part of the cow’s ribcage. They contain a short portion of bone covered by meat, connective tissue, and marbled fat. There are two main types of short ribs that are distinctive from the way they are cut: English Style and Flanken Style (also called Asian Style).
English-style short ribs, the type used for this recipe, are cut between and parallel to the bones, producing a rib with one long rib bone and a large chunk of meat attached. Look for English-style ribs that have a large chunk of bright red meat that is well-marbled.
Flanken-style, on the other hand, is cut perpendicular to the bones, producing thin slices of meat with several little rounds of bone running down the slices. This style of short rib is not ideal for this recipe.
Can I Braise Short Ribs In The Slow Cooker?
Yes! Crockpots and slow cookers produce ultra-tender short ribs thanks to their signature low and slow cooking. To make them, prepare the recipe on the stovetop as directed through step 6, then add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until the beef is very tender.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Cut the vegetables into larger chunks. Doing so allows the vegetables to contribute a naturally sweet and dimensional flavor to the sauce while maintaining their shape as they roast, making them delicious to serve with the ribs if desired.
- Dutch oven substitutes. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a large, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid, at least 5 quarts in size. Or, brown the ribs and cook the veggies on the stovetop in a skillet and transfer them to a casserole dish or roasting pan covered with foil or a lid for roasting.
- Sauce variation. If you prefer a thicker, gravy-like sauce, remove the beef from the pot once it is done cooking, strain out the vegetables and herbs, and simmer the braising liquid over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until thickened to your liking.
- Make it in a pressure cooker. An Instant Pot or other pressure cooker’s consistent heat and moist cooking environment makes them ideal for braising beef ribs. To prepare, brown the beef, saute the ingredients, and reduce the red wine on the medium or medium-high sauté setting. Add the beef and broth and pressure cook on high heat for 35 minutes. Natural-release the pressure for 10 minutes and quick-release the rest. If the sauce is too thin, remove the ribs and vegetables and simmer it on medium heat until reduced to your desired consistency.
- Make it in advance. This recipe can be prepared up to two days in advance. Follow the recipe as written, cool the beef completely, and refrigerate. You will be delighted by how the beef’s flavor develops further the next day. Refrigerating also makes it easier to skim the fat off. Reheat in the cooking pot over medium-low heat until the meat is warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite way to serve beef short ribs is placing a whole rib with the red wine and vegetable sauce over a large plate of creamy mashed potatoes! Try my classic mashed potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, or Instant Pot mashed potatoes. Or shred the meat off the ribs and serve it with the braising liquid over fresh pasta or creamy polenta. Add a side of dinner rolls or artisan bread to soak up all of that delicious sauce!
In a pinch, you can substitute boneless short ribs for bone-in short ribs, but the meat will be less flavorful, and the cooking may not be as even. Stew meat can also be substituted for short ribs, though it often isn’t as marbled. If using it, beef shoulder (or chuck roast) is the best option. Since they do not have bones, boneless ribs and stew meat will likely require less cooking time. After 2 hours of braising, start checking them and remove them from the oven when the meat is fork-tender.
Cool leftovers to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container and storing them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The ribs can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating over low heat on the stovetop until warmed.
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Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Equipment
- 6-8 quart dutch oven
Ingredients
- 8 beef short ribs, bone-in (about 4 pounds, 1.8kg)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 3 pieces celery chopped
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine (480mL)
- 2 cups beef broth (480mL)
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- Mashed potatoes to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Season the ribs all over with the salt and pepper.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each short rib in the flour, coating on all sides.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the oil, then half of the short ribs in a single layer, leaving some space in between each rib. Sear the short ribs on all sides, until golden brown all over, 6 to 8 minutes total. Set the short ribs aside on a plate. Repeat with the second batch, reducing the heat to medium if the brown bits on the bottom of the pot start to get too dark. Remove the pot from the heat. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, remove all but 2 tablespoons.
- Return the pot to medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are slightly softened.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized. Stir in the red wine. Cook until reduced by one-half, about 8 minutes.
- Add the beef stock and reserved short ribs. Tie the herbs into a small bundle with butcher’s twine and add to the pot. Return to a simmer.
- Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours, until the meat is fork tender and nearly falling off the bone.
- Remove the herb bundle and skim any fat from the top of the sauce. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve the short ribs over mashed potatoes with a drizzle of the sauce and some of the vegetables.
Notes
- Cut the vegetables into larger chunks. Doing so allows the vegetables to contribute a naturally sweet and dimensional flavor to the sauce while maintaining their shape as they roast, making them delicious to serve with the ribs if desired.
- Dutch oven substitutes. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a large, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid, at least 5 quarts in size. Or, brown the ribs and cook the veggies on the stovetop in a skillet and transfer them to a casserole dish or roasting pan covered with foil or a lid for roasting.
- Sauce variation. If you prefer a thicker, gravy-like sauce, remove the beef from the pot once it is done cooking, strain out the vegetables and herbs, and simmer the braising liquid over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until thickened to your liking.
- Make it in a pressure cooker. An Instant Pot or other pressure cooker’s consistent heat and moist cooking environment makes them ideal for braising beef ribs. To prepare, brown the beef, saute the ingredients, and reduce the red wine on the medium or medium-high sauté setting. Add the beef and broth and pressure cook on high heat for 35 minutes. Natural-release the pressure for 10 minutes and quick-release the rest. If the sauce is too thin, remove the ribs and vegetables and simmer it on medium heat until reduced to your desired consistency.
- Make it in advance. This recipe can be prepared up to two days in advance. Follow the recipe as written, cool the beef completely, and refrigerate. You will be delighted by how the beef’s flavor develops further the next day. Refrigerating also makes it easier to skim the fat off. Reheat in the cooking pot over medium-low heat until the meat is warmed through.
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