Easy Short Ribs Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs 30 mins
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Total Time
5 hrs
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Servings
4 to 6 servings
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Calories
627 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Easy Short Ribs Recipe
Description
This recipe begins by seasoning 3 to 5 pounds of bone-in short ribs with salt and pepper, then browning them thoroughly in vegetable oil in batches. The browned ribs are set aside while garlic halves are cooked until golden in the same pot, followed by chopped onion, celery, and carrot until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions become translucent. Tomato paste is added and cooked until it coats the vegetables, enhancing depth of flavor.
Red wine and beef broth are added along with thyme, and the ribs are returned to the pot. The assembly is transferred to a preheated oven set at 275°F. Covered and slow-cooked, the ribs braise gently for several hours until the meat is tender and flavorful. The resulting dish features a rich braising liquid that can be strained to finish into a sauce. The ribs pair well with egg noodles, polenta, or mashed potatoes, allowing the sauce to soak into these accompaniments.
A suggested wine for the braising liquid is dry Cabernet Sauvignon. Browning the ribs and properly cooking the tomato paste are key steps to building the dish’s deep flavor.
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- Large Dutch oven with a lid
- Fine mesh strainer optional for straining braising liquid
Short Ribs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 to 5 pounds short ribs ideally, 2 to 3 inches thick, bone-in
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 garlic sliced in half horizontally, head
- 1 onion roughly chopped, medium
- 4 celery roughly chopped, ribs
- 2 carrot peeled and roughly chopped, medium
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine dry
- 2 cups beef broth plus more if needed
- ¾ teaspoon thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme, ground
Serve Over
- egg noodles or polenta or mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Cut vegetables and measure out your ingredients before you begin. Once you start cooking, there isn’t much downtime to prep other ingredients.
- If making in the oven, preheat your oven to 275°F and adjust your baking racks so your Dutch oven will fit.
- Generously salt and pepper short ribs on all sides.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. In batches, if necessary, deeply brown ribs on all sides. This may take 15 minutes or more.
- Transfer ribs to a plate and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat (it doesn’t need to be precise).
- Turn heat down to medium and return pan to heat. Add garlic halves, cut-side down, and cook until deeply golden but not burned (watch garlic closely!), 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until the very edges of the onions are starting to turn translucent.
- Add tomato paste and stir to coat the veggies. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the tomato paste begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in red wine and bring to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef broth and thyme, and stir.
- Return the ribs to the pot, bone-side up, and press them down so they are completely submerged. If any meat is sticking up out of the liquid (bone is fine), add just enough broth to cover.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- If making in the oven, cover pot and transfer it to the oven. If making on the stove, reduce heat so liquid is just barely at a simmer before covering the pot.
- Cook (in the oven or on stovetop) for 3½ to 4 hours, checking occasionally to make sure meat is completely submerged and braising liquid is just barely simmering. Short ribs are done when meat is very tender and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
- If serving immediately, skim fat off the top and skip to step 18. If making in advance, refrigerate overnight or until ready to serve.
- About 40 minutes before you are ready to eat, take ribs out of the refrigerator and use a large metal spoon to scrape solid fat off as best you can. Don’t worry if you can’t get every single bit.
- Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer. If necessary, move meat around so all the meaty bits are submerged. Once at a simmer, cover and cook until meat is heated through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Set water on the stove to boil for egg noodles or begin prepping your mashed potatoes.
- Transfer meat to a plate and top with foil to keep warm. Remove and discard the majority of the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or measuring cup.
- Rinse out the pot and return the strained liquid to the pot. Simmer while your pasta/potatoes cook to reduce the liquid slightly.
- Return meat to the pot for the last minute or two of cooking time to reheat.
- Serve ribs over egg noodles or mashed potatoes and spoon sauce over the top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use dry Cabernet Sauvignon for the braising liquid for best flavor.
- Browning short ribs thoroughly develops the base flavor before braising.
- Tomato paste should be cooked until it coats the vegetables to reduce raw acidity and deepen taste.
- Serve over egg noodles, polenta, or mashed potatoes to soak up the rich sauce.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4to 6 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 627 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 627kcal | 31% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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