Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Published November 4, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
If you’re a meat lover, this braised beef short ribs recipe served over creamy polenta is the perfect fall-off-the-bone recipe. You will love the flavor in this easy-to-prepare recipe.
There is something about slow-cooked meat that is so tender it just falls off the bone. If you love those same types of foods, then for sure, check out my Osso Bucco or Lamb Shank Recipe.
Short Ribs
Short Ribs are rectangle cuts of beef that are about 2” by 4” in size and come from the chuck area of the cow. They consist of layers of meat and fat and contain the rib bone. They are different from Kalbi Short ribs, as those are crosscut and formally known as flanken cut. Because they are from a section of beef that traditionally renders tougher cuts of meat, it requires long, slow, moist-heat cooking.
Short ribs range in price from $8 – $10 per pound and occasionally can go on sale for $6 – $7 per pound, making it an inexpensive beef recipe. This is one of my all-time favorite dishes and is the perfect meal to serve to guests or for Sunday dinner with the family. In addition,
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Short Ribs – You will need standard English cut short ribs.
- Mirepoix – A combination of onions, celery, and carrots is used in my recipe. You can use white, sweet, or yellow onions.
- Garlic – Whole garlic cloves will add incredible flavor to the braising liquid.
- Herbs – I like combining fresh thyme, parsley, rosemary, and 1 dried bay leaf.
- Wine – A good red wine like Sangiovese, chianti, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, Bordeaux, or shiraz should be used.
- Broth – Use brodo or beef stock in this braised beef short ribs recipe.
- Tomato Paste – This is used to provide flavor and thicken the braising liquid.
- Fat – You will need some fat, including oil, ghee, clarified butter, or lard, to sear the short ribs.
How to Make Braised Short Ribs
Start by preparing the vegetables.
Tie together the fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf using butcher’s twine. Set it aside.
Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper.
Add the fat to a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
Place in the ribs taking care not to put them too close to each other, and sear them on all sides until they are golden brown, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes per side on all sides. If you must do this in batches because the pot isn’t quite big enough, so be it.
Set the short ribs to the side on a plate.
Add the prepared vegetables to the pot and continue to cook over medium-high heat until they are well browned, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
Deglaze with red wine and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by ½.
Stir in some tomato paste until it is completely mixed in. This will help thicken it. If the high heat concerns you at this point, turn it down to medium.
Pour in the stock and then add in the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Taste it and ensure it is flavorful.
Add in the short ribs and turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil.
Place on a lid and cook on a smaller burner on low heat for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the short ribs become very tender and easily fall off the bone.
Once the ribs are done cooking, gently transfer them to a pot, place them on a lid, and set them to the side to rest.
Drain the sauce, discard the vegetables, and cook it for 10-15 minutes in a separate pot over high heat or until it’s thickened like a thin gravy. It does not need to be thick to add a lot of flavor to the dish.
How to Serve Them
While these are delicious eaten by themselves, here are my three favorite things to serve them on top of or next to:
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten once it is finished cooking. However, you can keep it warm over very low simmering heat for up to 1 hour before serving.
How to Store: Cover and store the short ribs in the sauce in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can cover it and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired number of short ribs to a rondeau or saucepot along with some of the sauce and cover and heat in the oven at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until hot.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Other vegetables you can add to the recipe are parsnips, turnips, or celeriac root.
- You can also add or remove any of the herbs in the braising liquid.
- The other cooking option is cooking it in the oven at 325° for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
More Beef Recipes
Video
Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
- 8 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 pounds beef short ribs, about 6 each
- 2 tablespoons lard
- 2 peeled and large diced yellow onion
- 2 peeled and large diced carrots
- 2 ribs large diced celery
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine
- 8 cups beef stock
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Tie together the fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf using butcher’s twine. Set it aside.
- Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the lard to a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Place in the ribs taking care not to put them too close to each other and sear them on all sides until they are very golden brown, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes per side, on all sides. If you must do this in batches because the pot isn’t quite big enough, so be it.
- Set the short ribs to the side on a plate.
- Add the prepared vegetables to the pot and continue to cook over medium-high heat until they are well browned, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Deglaze with red wine and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by ½.
- Stir in some tomato paste until it is completely mixed in. This will help thicken it. If the high heat concerns you at this point, turn it down to medium.
- Pour in the stock and then add in the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Taste it and ensure it is flavorful.
- Add in the short ribs and turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil.
- Place on a lid and cook on a smaller burner on low heat for2 ½ to 3 hours or until the short ribs become very tender and easily fall off the bone.
- Once the ribs are done cooking, gently transfer them to a pot, place them on a lid, and set them to the side to rest.
- Drain the sauce, discard the vegetables, and cook the sauce for 10-15 minutes in a separate pot over high heat or just until it’s thickened up like a thin gravy. It does not need to be thick to add a lot of flavor to the dish.
- Serve the short ribs with the thickened gravy.
Another great one from the Chef! Enjoyed it tremendously.
Thank you for giving it a shot!
This was magnificent. I cooked it in the oven instead of a stove top so as not to lose much moisture, and I didn’t strain the vegetables at the end because the sauce was thick and I didn’t want to reduce it. I thought the vegetables added a little bit of interest to the finished dish. This recipe will be going on repeat.
Fantastic!
Oh my goodness, this is so delicious! I had never tried short ribs before but they are a new favorite now. I’m certainly no chef, but your recipes and instructional videos absolutely make me a better average Joe cook!
Thank you!
Amazing tender short ribs. The gravy was so tasty. Wow
Excellent!
About as tasty a beef dish as you will find. Super easy, and the sauce is beyond spectacular. Make more than you think you will need. I did drain the sauce through a fine colander so I could use my fat separater to drain off fat. Next time I will throw some carrots in for the last hour of cooking.
Outstanding! We just made this and it was fabulous.
Can this be made in slow cooker
I think so for sure.
Made this for dinner tonight with mashed cauliflower trying to stay low carb per doctor’s advice. It was delicious Chef Billy! Thank You
Recipe was easy to follow and delicious! My go to recipe for Braised Short Ribs!
This is one of the best slow cooked beef recipes ever!
We like it over a pile of polenta. I also add turnips or rutabaga for tasty punch.
Another fantabulous recipe from Chef Billy!
Made this for New Year’s Eve for my wife. Our local grocery store here in St. Louis always has short ribs marked down. We followed the recipe exactly the only exception was we emulsified the vegetables and put them back in with the liquids. Served over Risotto alla Milanese using Carnaroli rice, the king of rice’s which is a game changer as Grandma Franzi from Northern Italy always said. The extra liquid with the emulsified vegetables was frozen and will be used as a stock/stater for French Onion soup. Used the extra short for sandwiches with bread from Marconi Bakery on The Hill. PS……make sure to make extra risotto that can be used a day later or more to make Arancini and to put a twist, use the extra short ribs and cheese for the center. Billy P. You rock.
I am also from St. Louis but have only found short ribs from a butcher shop here. Can I ask what grocery store you found them at?
Hello Chef I made this recipe last evening and it was fantastic and to die for lol I did add one other ingredient which was about a teaspoon of veal Demi glacé when I added the tomato paste I do love this recipe and am already planning a dinner party to show case the short ribs and I like it with the mashed potatoes and nice bottle of Pinot Noir Keep the recipes coming
Delicious recipe!
As always, delicious! And the big surprise was using lard (and its explanation). My parents used lard as the oil iin their restaurant homemade rolls, and we always wondered why we couldn’t duplicate them when we subbed oil. Thanks so much.
I made this recipe and it was great. Will continue to make it and did not change a thing. Excellent ! Served with mashed potatoes and scalloped corn.
I made this for Christmas, for the first time I had beef short ribs. I’m not an excellent cook, but this recipe was very easy and VERY GOOD. I am going to make these again. I was surprised at how good they were. Thank you, Billy.
Can I use boneless beef short ribs for tr this recipe? The kind you can purchase at Costo which are about 7 inches long and one inch thick.
Thank you
no
I made this recipe with a super well marbled chuck roast about 3 inches thick. Cut the roast into 3 inch wide chunks…and made the rest of the recipe just like Billy called for. Turned out amazing. Not surprised because the meat on top of the short ribs is the same meat as what is in a chuck roast. Thanks Billy!
Absolutely a winner dish. Everyone loved it!
Excellent!
Huge hit! Everyone loved it 😊
Super good
Thanks!
Made these short ribs for dinner tonight. Simple to do with minimal ingredients and absolutely delicious.. Short ribs were succulent and full of flavor,. The sauce was perfect over the beef and the polenta prepared with butter and Parmigiano.. Chef Parisi’s recipes are easy to follow and I appreciate that he posts approximate time for completing each step. Makes getting everything on the table at the same time ,easy . Best of all, everything I’ve made has been delicious. Thank you Chef.
Appreciate you trying this!
Tasty &I got a suitable pot to do this recipe fabulous great for the budget added bonus 👋😁😋🤩thank you Chef Billy
My pleasure, glad it worked for you!
AMazing
Thank you!
Easy to follow like all chef Parisi ‘s recipes.t
Keep them coming chef and thank you for making cooking a joy.
you got it!
I have made this dish twice now. It is a perfect recipe. So delicious and so easy. Just follow the video. I braised these in the oven both times. I have also made the lamb shanks and they turned out great as well. I never thought I could make such elegant dishes. Thank you chef!
I have made this twice now. This is a perfect recipe. Delicious and so easy. Just follow along with the video. I did it in the oven both times. I have also made the lamb shanks which turned out great as well. I am so happy that I tried such dishes that I never thought I would be able to make because of thinking it must be too complicated to turn out such food. Thank you Chef!
Love it!
I made these short ribs with mashed potatoes for dinner tonight & all I can say is Wow! I used my hotpot as I don’t have a Dutch oven & it turned out perfect. The broth is so rich & flavorful & made delicious gravy for the potatoes. My family raved about dinner & came back for seconds. I will be watching for short ribs to go on sale so I can make this meal again!
Thank you Chef! 🥰
excellent!
Absolutely delicious. Made this recipe, turned out beautifully! Could not improve the wonderful flavors of this dish.
so good!!
This has become a favorite. The meat is delicious. I fry the ribs in bacon fat rather than lard because I usually don’t have lard and serve the ribs over mashed Yukon Golds. Really a great recipe.
Love it!
Made this for guests last night — when they arrived, they were already raving about the mouthwatering aroma . . . the short ribs (my fave) were so tender they could be cut with a spoon, and so flavorful that conversation stopped for a minute on the first taste. I make a lot of Chef Parisi’s recipes — but this one is in the top 3! (#1: Pan-seared ribeye with Whiskey Cream sauce.) Thanks so much for your generosity in sharing your recipes.
Love it! Thanks for trying it.
Chef Billy Parisi does it again. Solid recipe that is very forgiving. I had boneless short ribs and only one onion and about 1/2 c shy on the red wine. They still came out amazing.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Delicious, definitely will make this recipe again!
thank you so kindly!!
The best! Love this dish.
thank you so kindly!!
yummy
thank you so kindly!!
My husband loves it. It was to die for! So tender and delish!
Amazing!
Great recipe! Will be in the “Fancy Meal” rotation! I love that it can be made ahead of time!
Nice!
Always wanted to try making braised beef short ribs. Used this recipe on a holiday, and it was delicious! Don’t be intimidated because Chef Parisi provided great instructions!
This is a good one!
Great meal. I. Fact every recipes I have tried from Chef Parisi has been wonderful. My list of favorite recipes keeps growing.
Ribs were so tender and flavorful. I learned so much
Great recipe!
So good comes out great
This recipe is fantastic!! Absolutely restaurant quality!
This is a keeper. I’ve made this several times and everyone loves it.
Made this tonight, made me look super fancy! Thanks for the detailed instructions and the video, they helped! It was my first time working with short ribs.
Billy, thanks for this amazingly delicious recipe! We had this for dinner last night with riced cauliflower and it was one of those meals to prepare. It was a bit time consuming
but definitely well worth the effort.
Pam
Made these tonight and they were delish!
This recipe looks amazing. I want to try for Christmas dinner for a group of 10. Question…would this work with boneless beef short ribs?
It should
I made the German Beef roulade last week – DELICIOUS! I made this today – Amazing. Followed every step with both recipes! Thanks for the recipe and awesome website!!
Knocked it out of the park Chef! Easy, simple yet elegant. For a bit more umami taste, I threw in a dash of fish sauce, Maggie sauce and Worcestershire. Husband licked the plate and did not feel bad not attending a workmate dinner gathering. Thanks for everything you do.
I made these short ribs for some friends and got rave reviews.
There are a lot of steps to this recipe and it takes some time, but it’s worth it. The meat is tender and the flavor is delicious.
The printed recipe is missing the step of when to add the beef stock, but I added it after reducing the red wine and it worked out great.
I made last night. Delicious! Wouldn’t change a thing. Went great with russet mashed potatoes.
Thank you so much for this recipe! The flavor is sooo good, I’m giving it five stars! The only thing wrong was my own fault: I didn’t trim my short ribs enough so it got a little greasy. I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned and think that worked fine. Chef, thank you for showing us the basic “how to’s.” Knowing what you have taught us has helped me be a better cook.