Braised Beef Short Ribs

Name: Braised Beef Short Ribs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 185 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds Beef short ribs; 2 Tbsp Olive oil; ½ pounds Streaky bacon; 1 Onion (chopped); 2 Cloves garlic (crushed); 1 Carrot (peeled and chopped); 1 Large stick celery (chopped); 2 Tbsp Flour; 2 Cups beef stock; 11/2 cups red wine; 1 Tbsp tomato paste; 2 sprigs rosemary; 2 Bay leaves; 1 tsp Fresh thyme; Salt and pepper

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In no time you’ll be savoring the rich taste of these Braised Beef Short Ribs — made with only a handful of ingredients — a comfort food for your family and a dish dressed up in a red wine and rosemary sauce to impress your dinner guests.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This decadent red wine and rosemary sauce is just absolutely delicious paired with the tender rib meat. It’s a sophisticated dish that, if made for guests, will blow them away. Trust me, they’ll request it every time they visit.
It requires hardly any prep time, which is shocking given the massive payoff in the taste department. Once the meat is browned and the onions and garlic fried, you only need to sit back and let the oven work its magic.
It pairs nicely with simple, easily made sides like mashed potato or a pot of rice.

Ingredients

2 pounds Beef short ribs
2 Tbsp Olive oil
½ pounds Streaky bacon
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped
1 Large stick celery, chopped
2 Tbsp Flour
2 Cups beef stock
11/2 cups red wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 sprigs rosemary
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

How to Make – The Steps

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the ribs and pat. Allow the ribs to come to room temperature.

Step 3: In a cast iron pot add a little oil and heat over a medium to high heat. Add in the ribs and brown on all sides.

Step 4: Turn the heat down to medium, remove the ribs and then add in the bacon, onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Sautee for 4 – 5 minutes until they are cooked.

Step 5: Sprinkle the flour into the pot and mix with a wooden spoon. Then pour in the tomato paste, red wine and beef stock and pop in the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves and give the mixture a good stir. Add the ribs back in and gently push them down so that they are covered by the liquid. Replace the lid and place into the oven for 3 or until the meat is falling off the bone.

What To Serve With Braised Beef Short Ribs

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes – These creamy mashed potatoes are the perfect time-saving side dish that would serve well as a bed for the short ribs. If you would like something a bit different but not TOO different, try my recipe for Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes.

Baked Spicy Cheese Grits – Italians have polenta, Mexicans have masa, and here in the United States, we have grits. You may want to forgo the “spicy” bit but everything else is a winner.

Roasted Carrots with Chardonnay – Root vegetables would work wonders with the short ribs. And you get to use wine twice so there’s that.

Microwaved Sweet Potato (5 Mins Only!) – Speaking of root veggies, this simple recipe for sweet potato is a quickie you can do with only minutes left for the ribs to be done.

FAQs

Why do we brown the meat?

The browning of the meat adds a big bang of flavor into the stew and also adds beautiful color to the meat. It really isn’t a step you want to skip.

Can I make this into a stew?

You can easily add in some vegetables into this and make it more of a stew, the onions and garlic provide a lot of flavor so I would keep them in. Carrots, celery, and potatoes would go well.

I don’t have a cast-iron pot, what can I use instead?

You can use a slow cooker, a tagine, or a ceramic casserole dish with a lid.

Can I use a different kind of meat?

If you would like to switch the ribs for another meat, go with something fatty like pork shoulder or lamb shanks – cuts that stand up to long cooking times. Just remember that with any larger cuts of meat, you will also need to increase the amount of liquid so that it doesn’t dry.

Will any variety of red wine work?

You want a dry, full-bodied wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz, or a red blend perhaps. Don’t use a cooking wine; these usually contain added salt or some other kind of preservative, which will negatively affect the taste of the ribs. You don’t need to break the bank but adhere to the principle that good ingredients make good dishes.

How To Store Braised Beef Short Ribs

Let the ribs cool completely. If possible, remove the meat from the sauce. This way, you can easily remove any excess fat that may form atop the sauce. This will go a long way to maintaining a sauce’s original texture and flavor when reheating. Transfer the ribs and the sauce to airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the ribs and sauce for up to 3 months. You can later reheat them on the stove on LOW heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through, or in the oven on 325°F for 25-30 minutes.