Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Short Ribs have turned into a treat these days instead of an everyday protein. Over the last 10 years or so, Beef Short Rib prices have absolutely skyrocketed, as people all around the world have discovered their wonderfully rich, Beefy flavor. When slowly cooked in a delicious braising liquid, Beef Short Ribs become melt-in-the-mouth tender. This preparation of Red Wine Braised Short Ribs is, in our opinion, the best way to cook this wonderful protein. The rich flavors of a Beefy, Red Wine braising liquid get absorbed into those Short Ribs as they slowly cook over a low heat. It’s a very easy dish and so rewarding to eat

How to make Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

The first step in this dish is getting your hands on some good quality Beef Short Ribs. They’re popular these days, so most grocery stores will have them. Try to get the larger ones that haven’t been cut into small pieces, as they will be better for presentation

Often the Beef Short Ribs are sold as individual ribs, however you can find them as a chunk of 3 – 4 connected Ribs. If you get them connected, simply cut them down the Rib to separate them into individual Ribs. The good news is that an intact Beef Short Rib in itself is quite the meal, and most people will only need 1 (along with some Mashed Potatoes) as a full meal

Once you’ve got your Beef Short Ribs ready to cook, give them a coating of well-seasoned AP Flour. Dust off any excess Flour and you’ll be ready to start the cooking process

Slow cooking the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

The only way to cook Short Ribs in our opinion is slow cooking them over a low heat in braising liquid. This method will ensure the Beef is super-tender, and absorbs all of the delicious flavors from the braising liquid

To kick things off you want to brown the Short Ribs on all sides in a large pot with some Neutral Oil. This will help to seal in all the delicious juices for the Short Ribs, and the Flour we’ve used to coat them will help to thicken the sauce up

After you’ve browned the Beef, remove it from the pan and add a little bit more Oil. Now we add in the classic flavor builders – a combination of Onion, Celery, and Carrot. You can add some Mushrooms as well if you like, totally your call

Allow the Veggies to cook for about 10 minutes over a medium heat and then it’s time for the big hitters. We’re talking about the Red Wine of course! I like to add a lot of Red Wine to this dish. Some recipes may suggest 1 cup, or even ½ a cup. I find that you barely get any richness from the Wine in the final result with those quantities. So, half a bottle of Red Wine is what we suggest! There’ll still be enough to drink anyway. But, perhaps to be safe maybe its best to buy another bottle for the dinner table as well!

Along with Red Wine, we also add Beef Stock and Tomato Puree to the Braising Liquid

To fill out the braising liquid with more flavors and volume, Beef Stock and Tomato Puree is added. You can also add some herbs (we went for Rosemary and Thyme) along with some Tomato Paste for a more concentrated Tomato flavor

We recommend using homemade Beef Stock as it will yield such a better flavor. If you want to go super-fancy, try reducing the Beef into a concentrated Demi-Glace for an even richer, restaurant quality flavor

Once the liquids are added to the dish, return the Short Ribs to the pot. Ensure there is enough liquid to fully submerge the Meat to ensure an even cook. You can always add a little bit more Beef Stock to ensure they are submerged

Bring the liquid to a boil and then drop it to a low heat. You want the liquid to be barely bubbling. Then, cover it and leave it to braise for 3 – 4 hours. Stirring every hour or so. I recommend a 4 hour braise with the lid on, as this will result in the most render result

Once the braise is done, finish off the Sauce and your Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are ready to serve

The final step in the cooking of this recipe is to get that sauce beautiful and thick. Once your Short Ribs are done, carefully remove them from the pot and set them aside. Try to keep them completely intact for the final plating

Once removed, crank the heat on the braising liquid in the pot and remove the lid. Cook it for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. I found this takes about 30 minutes, but the time may vary a little bit. Just keep your eye on the sauce and stir it constantly

Creamy Mashed Potatoes makes the perfect side for our Red Wine Braised Short Ribs as they will soak up all of that delicious sauce

While the sauce is thickening you can prepare your sides. Personally, I find there’s nothing better to enjoy Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with than a beautiful plate of Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Lucky for you we’ve got an awesome recipe right here for perfect Mashed Potatoes

Once the sauce is done, add the Short Ribs back to the pot to allow them to heat through again. Then, plate your Mashed Potatoes and lay the beautiful Short Ribs on top of it. Cover it with some more sauce and you’re ready to eat!

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ½ lbs. Beef Short Ribs
• ½ cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp. Neutral Oil
• 2 Carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 Celery Stalks, diced
• 2 Yellow Onions, diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
• ½ bottle of Red Wine
• 3 cups of Beef Broth (recipe here)
• 14 oz. Can of Tomato Puree
• 2 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 4 Sprigs of Thyme
• 4 sprigs of Rosemary
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Instructions

1. Mix 1 tsp. of Salt and 1 tsp. of Pepper into the Flour, then add the Short Ribs and coat well. Dust off excess Flour and set aside
2. Heat the Neutral Oil in a large pot / Dutch Oven over medium high heat. Once hot add the Short Ribs. Sear each side for about 2 minutes until browned then remove from pan
3. Add Onions, Carrots, and Celery and drop the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes until the Vegetables begin to caramelize then add Garlic and Red Wine
4. Cook for about 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol then add Tomato Puree, Tomato Paste, and Beef Stock and bring to a boil
5. Drop the heat to low (so it’s barely bubbling) and return the Short Ribs to the pan, ensuring they are completely submerged. Add Thyme and Rosemary, cover, and braise for 4 hours, stirring every hour or so)
6. Remove the Short Ribs and set aside. Crank the heat of the pot to high and boil for about 30 minutes, uncovered, to make the thick sauce
7. Return the Short Ribs to the pot to reheat and coat with the sauce and then serve with Mashed Potatoes
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Make sure you remove the Rosemary and Thyme stalks from the sauce before serving
• The braising may take a little less time, and you can enjoy a tasty meal after a 3 hour braise. We recommend 4 hours of braising for the best results
  
  

This rich and indulgent Red Wine Braised Short Ribs recipe is sure to please and is a great way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon cooking. It’s also the best way to showcase the amazing flavors of Beef Short Ribs, an ingredient that is popular for its amazing texture and beautiful flavors

For more rich and indulgent recipes such as this one, check out these favorites of ours:

• Crispy Porchetta with Fennel and Herbs
• Tamarind Glazed Fried Chicken Sandwich
• Morel Mushroom Risotto
• Braised Oxtail with Red Wine
  
  

Happy Cooking!