Description
This Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe offers tender, flavorful meat slow-cooked in a rich red wine and vegetable sauce. Perfectly seared short ribs are braised with aromatic vegetables, tomato paste, and herbs until fall-apart tender, creating a luxurious dish that pairs beautifully with pappardelle, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or creamy polenta.
Ingredients
Scale
Short Ribs
- 5 pounds meaty bone-in short ribs (1 ½ inches or thicker)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 6 medium carrots, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 4 ribs celery, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
Sauce Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine (Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Cotes de Rhone)
- 4 cups beef stock or chicken stock, plus more as needed
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For Serving
- Cooked pappardelle pasta, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or creamy polenta
Instructions
- Preheat and Sear: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and season them generously with 5 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, no oil needed, and sear the short ribs in batches until they are deeply browned on all sides. Transfer the seared ribs to a baking dish once done.
- Sauté Vegetables: Remove any excess fat from the Dutch oven, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and the remaining salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add Tomato Paste and Garlic: Push the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the tomato paste. Stir it around for 30 seconds to mellow the acidity and develop flavor. Then stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Simmer the wine until it has reduced by half, concentrating the flavors and evaporating most of the alcohol.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Stir in the beef or chicken stock, fire-roasted diced tomatoes with their juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, the herb bundle of thyme, and dried oregano. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
- Braise Short Ribs: Nestle the seared short ribs back into the pot, making sure they are partially submerged in the liquid. Bring everything to a gentle boil on the stovetop, then cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour.
- Continue Braising: After the first hour, remove the lid and continue baking the ribs for another hour, uncovered, until the meat is incredibly tender and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
- Remove Short Ribs and Thyme Bundle: Carefully transfer the short ribs to a serving plate. Discard any loose bones and remove the thyme bundle from the sauce.
- Reduce Sauce: Return the Dutch oven to the stovetop over medium heat and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes to thicken and intensify the flavors. Skim off any excess fat that rises to the surface during this time.
- Combine and Serve: Return the short ribs to the thickened sauce and heat through gently. Sprinkle the dish with the finely chopped fresh parsley and serve hot with your choice of pappardelle pasta, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or creamy polenta.
Notes
- Drying the short ribs before searing ensures a better browning and richer flavor.
- Using a sturdy Dutch oven helps retain heat and create an even braise.
- Choose a good quality dry red wine, which adds depth and complexity to the sauce.
- You can substitute fresh thyme for dried if fresh is not available, but reduce the quantity accordingly.
- Leftovers reheat well and flavors often deepen overnight.
- For a thicker sauce, continue simmering longer, but be careful not to let it burn.
