Braised Short Ribs Recipe
This is the type of dish you would expect to pay a premium for at upscale restaurants, yet it’s surprisingly simple to prepare in your own kitchen. The wine adds a rich, complex flavor, so you only need a handful of ingredients! While the oven method is preferred, you can also use a stovetop, slow cooker, pressure cooker, or Instant Pot—see notes for instructions.
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Servings: 5 people
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 - 6 beef short ribs 300-400g/10-14oz each (Note 1)
- 1.5 tsp each salt and pepper
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 large onion chopped (brown, yellow, or white)
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups 500ml dry red wine (Note 2)
- 2 cups 500ml beef stock/broth, low sodium
- 2 sprigs thyme optional
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C/325°F. Season the beef short ribs generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe pot over high heat. Sear half of the ribs until they are deeply browned all over, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes in total. Remove these ribs and repeat the process with the remaining ribs, then set them aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion and crushed garlic to the same pot. Cook for about 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Incorporate the chopped carrots and celery, cooking for an additional 5 minutes until the carrots start to soften and release their sweetness.
- Mix in the tomato paste and cook for another minute to allow the flavors to meld. Pour in the dry red wine and beef broth, adding the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir the mixture thoroughly until the tomato paste is fully dissolved.
- Place the seared ribs back into the pot, ensuring they are submerged in the liquid (Note 3). Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Let it cook for approximately 3 hours or until the meat is so tender that it can be easily pulled apart with a fork (Note 4 for other cooking methods).
- Carefully remove the ribs from the pot, keeping the meat intact on the bone. Cover them to keep warm. Strain the liquid from the pot, pressing down on the vegetables to extract all the juices. This step can be skipped if you prefer a chunkier sauce. Return the strained sauce to the pot, bring it to a simmer, and adjust the consistency as needed—reduce to thicken or add water to thin. Season with additional salt and pepper if required.
- Arrange the ribs on a serving plate and generously spoon the sauce over them. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Beef Short Ribs: A serving of 300g/10oz raw, bone-in short ribs should suffice due to their richness. However, this recipe yields enough sauce for up to 400g/14oz ribs. This method is also ideal for other slow-cooking cuts of beef, such as a whole pot roast, chuck beef (cut into large pieces), shanks, beef osso buco, or even a whole brisket. Adjust cooking time according to the size of the meat—if the beef is done before the sauce thickens, remove the meat and reduce the sauce separately. If the beef needs more time, simply add water and continue cooking.
- Red Wine: Choose a robust, affordable red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot; Shiraz works well too. There's no need for an expensive bottle, as the New York Times concurs. Discount wines are perfect for slow-cooked dishes (I often find mine at Dan Murphy's). Avoid lighter wines like Pinot Noir. Nearly all the alcohol evaporates during cooking, leaving a sauce that's rich and not at all winey. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use non-alcoholic wine or replace the wine with an additional 0.5 cup of low-sodium beef broth, 1.5 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.
- Cooking Vessel / Liquid Level: Ensure the liquid covers the meaty side of the ribs; if necessary, top up with water. If the sauce is too thin at the end, simmer to reduce it. If your ovenproof pot isn't large enough, transfer everything to a casserole dish, placing the ribs meat side down, and pour the liquid over them.
- Stove: Simmer on low for 2.5 hours with the lid on.
- Slow Cooker: Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours. Sear the beef and sauté the vegetables in a skillet, add the liquid, bring to a simmer, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. When the beef is fork-tender, strain the liquid into a large skillet and simmer rapidly for 10 minutes until syrupy. Optionally, spray the beef lightly with oil and broil on high for 5 minutes to brown.
- Pressure Cooker: Cook on high for 1 hour, following the slow cooker instructions. Allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then release the valve.
- Instant Pot: Follow the slow cooker directions but do the searing in the Instant Pot. Use the slow cooker or pressure cooker function with the same times.
- Sauce: The sauce should reduce by half, thickening to a syrupy consistency. If not, simmer on the stove until it thickens.
- Excess Fat: If the sauce is too fatty, pour it into a jug and let it sit until the fat rises to the surface, then skim it off.
- Bone Attachment: For the meat to be fork-tender, it needs to cook long enough for the connective tissue to soften. While the meat may not remain fully attached to the bone, careful handling will keep it intact.
- Serving Without Bone: In fine dining, beef short ribs are often served without the bone. The bone is removed, the fatty underside is trimmed off, and the meat is served on its own, presenting a sophisticated look.