Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe

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 bold 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.

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.

Now, these braised beef short ribs are ready to enjoy! Tender, flavorful, and slow-cooked to perfection, they’re the ultimate comfort meal.

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.

Serving Suggestions

While these braised beef short ribs are delicious on their own, I love serving them over my mashed potatoes, the rich sauce soaks right in, making every bite even more comforting.

When I want something extra special, I pair it with a creamy risotto for a restaurant-quality meal, or spoon it over a polenta for a Italian touch.

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: just like my short rib pasta recipe. You can 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.

More Beef Recipes

• Coulotte Steak
• Smoked Brisket
• Chateaubriand
• Beef Rouladen
• Short Rib Ragu

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Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe

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5 from 48 votes

If you’re a meat lover, this braised beef short ribs recipe served over creamy polenta is the perfect fall-off-the-bone recipe.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 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.

Notes

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.

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 29gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 769mgPotassium: 1295mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3860IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 4mg

Course: Main

Cuisine: French, Italian

Author: Chef Billy Parisi