Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Why you’ll love it

• Fall-off-the-bone tender beef with almost no hands-on effort.
• A restaurant-style sauce made right in the same pot.
• Even better made ahead, perfect for guests and holiday weekends.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the short ribs

• 4 1/2 lb (2 kg) bone-in English-cut beef short ribs (about 8 pieces)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the braise

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups (480 ml) dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
• 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the ribs. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Pat the short ribs very dry, season all over with the salt and pepper and dust lightly with the flour, shaking off the excess.

2. Sear the ribs. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs in 2 or 3 batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned on all meaty sides. Transfer to a plate and pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat.

3. Cook the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook 6–8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes, until the paste darkens.

4. Reduce the wine. Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer 8–10 minutes, until reduced by about half.

5. Braise in the oven. Add the broth, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Nestle the ribs back in, bone side up, with any juices; the liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Braise 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender.

6. Finish the sauce and serve. Carefully transfer the ribs to a platter and tent with foil. Strain the liquid if you like a smooth sauce, skim off the fat, then simmer it on the stove 8–10 minutes, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 2 cups. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the ribs and sprinkle with parsley.

How to know it is done

The short ribs are ready when the meat has shrunk back from the bones, a fork slides in with no resistance and the meat pulls apart easily (around 205°F / 96°C inside). If the meat still feels tight or chewy, cover and keep braising in 20-minute intervals.

Tips for the best result

• Dry the ribs well and don’t crowd the pot; a deep brown sear builds the flavor of the whole sauce.
• Cook with a wine you would happily drink; cheap, harsh wine makes a bitter sauce.
• Make them a day ahead: chill the ribs in their liquid overnight, lift off the solid fat, then reheat. The flavor gets even better.

Variations and substitutions

• Slow cooker: sear the ribs and cook the vegetables and wine as directed, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on LOW 8 hours. Reduce the sauce on the stove.
• Pressure cooker: sear and reduce the wine using the sauté setting, then cook on HIGH pressure 45 minutes with a 15-minute natural release.
• No wine: replace the wine with more beef broth plus 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
• Boneless short ribs: use 3 lb (1.4 kg) and start checking for tenderness after 2 hours.
• Mushrooms: add 8 oz (225 g) quartered cremini mushrooms with the vegetables.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate the ribs in their sauce in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat covered in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 25–30 minutes, or in a covered pot over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if the sauce is too thick.