Beef short ribs are the absolute best cut of beef for slow cooking! The most tender and succulent fall apart beef you will ever have, you’d pay top dollar at fine dining restaurants for a plate of these Braised Beef Short Ribs.
Cooked long and slow in a rich red wine sauce, these beef ribs are easy enough for midweek, and most definitely impressive enough for company. (And after you’d tried these, try the BBQ Beef Ribs next!)
Braised Beef Short Ribs – easy and luscious!
It looks like a lump of coal. Or, as one RecipeTin Family member said, hot chocolate fudge cake. 😩
Photograph challenges aside, this is one of the most luscious slow cooked recipes that I know. The sort of food you will find at fine dining restaurants and quality steakhouses (albeit served alot more elegantly than the “rustic” approach I take 😂).
They’ll charge you top dollar for a single plate of Beef Short Ribs when you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost – and it’s very straight forward.
The red wine sauce in this recipe is amazing. The depth of flavour and the richness you can achieve with so few ingredients is incredible!
Introducing – Beef Short Ribs
But before we dive into how to make it, I just want to show you beef short ribs because it’s a cut of beef that’s not as widely known as others.
Beef Short Ribs are the beef equivalent of pork ribs – but way meatier. They’re called “short ribs” in reference to the part of the cow they are taken from, not because they are “short” (though they certainly are far shorter than full length beef ribs!).
What are beef short ribs used for?
Beef short ribs are a prized cut for slow cooking. Cooking them slowly breaks down the tough connective tissues and the meat becomes fall apart tender. And because they are beautifully marbled with fat, they are more succulent and juicy than other slow cooking cuts of beef such as chuck and brisket.
In Asian cuisine, beef short ribs are sliced thinly so they can be cooked quickly rather than long and slow. Korean beef ribs is a popular example – – marinated thinly sliced beef rib meat cooked on tabletop grills. Any fans of Korean BBQ here? 🙂
Beef short ribs are usually cut into rectangle blocks, as pictured, though sometimes they are more square depending on the width of the bone.
They are also sometimes sold as a rack rather than pre cut individual pieces. In that situation, just cut between the bones to make individual beef short ribs.
How to make Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce
1. Brown – As with most slow cooked dishes like Beef Stew and Pot Roast, we start by aggressively browning the beef short ribs. This is where we get a ton of flavour on both the beef and in the sauce (from the brown stuff – fond – left on the base of the pot).
2. Soffrito – After that, we slowly sauté garlic, onion, carrot and celery. The longer you take here, the better the flavour base! This is called a soffrito.
Then add tomato paste (to thicken the sauce + a touch of sour) and cook that off for a bit to take the raw edge off.
3. Braising liquid – then add the beef broth/stock, red wine, thyme (optional) and bay leaves (essential).
4. Add ribs – Carefully return the ribs into the pot. Arrange them so they are fully submerged as best you can. If some bits stick out, don’t worry – they will cook just fine too, and the steam keeps those bits nice and juicy.
5. Slow cook – Plonk the lid on and then either slow cook in the oven (my favourite), stove, slow cooker or pressure cooker!
6. After cooking – The liquid will be reduced and the meat should be extremely tender. Check with two forks to ensure it is fall apart. Then carefully remove using a slotted spoon, keeping the meat as attached to the bone as you can (but it will not be attached because if the meat is fall apart, this means the ligaments holding the meat to the bone must be melted).
7. Strain the sauce & adjust – this is optional, to take out the chunks and make the sauce super smooth and glossy, like you get at fine dining restaurants. Strain it back into the pot, then reduce to thicken if needed, and adjust the salt and pepper
8. Transfer ribs onto serving plates, spoon over sauce and serve!
Cheap or expensive wine?
I do not use expensive wines for SLOW cooking. I do not believe you can tell the difference if you made this with a discount end-of-bin $5 bottle or a $50 bottle – and the New York Times agrees…. 🙂
Maybe you could tell the difference using a $100 bottle. But that’s not within my budget!
Non alcoholic sub?
Added to the notes – involves a combination of water, Worcestershire sauce and a bit more beef broth. 🙂
How long does it take to braise beef short ribs?
The time it takes for the beef to become fall apart tender varies depending on what cooking method you use:
Oven – 3 hours at 160C/325F
Stove – 2.5 hours
Pressure Cooker – 1 hour on high
Slow cooker – 8 hours on low, 5 hours on high
My favourite method is to braise using the oven because you get extra flavour from the beef and surface of the sauce caramelising in the oven, even though it’s cooked covered the whole time.
You’ll see in the video when I take the lid off after it comes out of the oven – it looks like a big pot with lumps of coal swimming in a pool of tar that is impossible to photograph nicely.😩
As unattractive as it might look, it’s a big pot of serious deliciousness. Just touch it with a fork, and THIS is what you see ↓↓↓
That’s my dinner right there. Literally my dinner – I made it this afternoon and I’m eating it tonight. Can’t wait!! – Nagi x
Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs
Watch how to make it
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Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 – 6 beef short ribs , 300-400g/10-14oz each (Note 1)
- 1.5 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , crushed
- 1 large onion , chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 2 celery ribs , chopped
- 2 carrots , chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups (500ml) dry red wine (Note 2)
- 2 cups (500ml) beef stock/broth, low sodium
- 2 sprigs thyme (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F.
- Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over high heat. Add half the ribs and brown aggressively all over (~5 – 7 min in total). Remove and repeat with remaining ribs, then remove.
- Turn heat down to medium. Add onion and garlic into the same pot and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add carrot and celery, cook for 5 minutes until carrot is softened and sweet.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add wine, broth, thyme and bay leaves. Stir until tomato paste is dissolved.
- Return beef into liquid, arranging them so they are submerged (Note 3).
- Cover with lid and transfer to oven for 3 hours, or until the meat can easily be pried apart with forks. (Note 4 Other cook methods)
- Remove beef carefully, keeping the meat on the bone. (Note 4) Cover to keep warm.
- Strain all liquid in the pot, pressing juices out of the onion, carrot etc. (Optional – can skip if you don't mind chunky sauce) Return sauce into pot, bring to simmer and stir. Adjust as necessary – simmer to reduce/thicken, add water to thin, season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Place beef on serving plate, spoon over sauce. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
- Stove – 2.5 hours on low simmer, lid on
- Slow cooker – 8 hours on low, 5 hours on high. Sear beef and sauté vegetables in a skillet, add the liquid, bring to simmer then tip it all into a slow cooker. When beef is fork tender, strain liquid into a large skillet and simmer liquid rapidly for 10 minutes or until it reduces down to a syrup consistency. Optional: spray beef lightly with oil and grill/broil on high for 5 minutes to brown.
- Pressure cooker – 1 hour on high, follow slow cooker directions above. Depressurise naturally for 10 minutes, then release valve.
- Instant Pot – Follow slow cooker directions above but do the searing in your Instant Pot. Cook using slow cooker or pressure cooker function using above times.
– Sauce: reduces by half so should be thickened to syrup consistency. If not, simmer on stove for a bit.
– Sauce excess fat: If the sauce is too fatty for your taste, pour it into a jug and leave for a bit so the fat rises to the surface, then scoop it off.
– Bone attachment: In order for the meat to be fork tender, it needs to be cooked far enough so that the connective tissue holding the meat to the bone becomes tender. So the meat is not really attached. But if you handle it carefully, it stays together.
– Remove bone: At some fine dining restaurants, beef short ribs are served without the bone. The bone is removed, the fatty bit on the underside of the meat that was attached to the bone is cut off and the meat is served by itself. It looks quite posh! 6. Nutrition assumes all sauce is consumed which it probably will not be. Does not take into account any fat discarded from sauce.
Nutrition Information:
More slow cooked fall-apart meat
I’m a big fan of slow cooked meats!!
- BBQ Beef Ribs – slow cooked ribs in a sticky sweet BBQ sauce!
- Beef Stew and Irish Guinness Stew
- Beef Pot Roast with Gravy
- Shredded Beef Ragu
- Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce or Port Braised
- Slow Roasted Lamb Leg or Lamb Shoulder
- Beef Bourguignon
- Osso Buco – traditional Italian slow cooked veal
- Browse the Winter Comfort Food collection!
Life of Dozer
I returned home from grocery shopping to howling coming from the bedroom – the wind had slammed the door shut and trapped him in there (for a whole 30 minutes, max).
He was very relieved to be rescued – upon which I promptly shoved him back in there to re-enact it for this photo 😂
I bought “Dinner” hoping that this recipe was in it…It was not. I am sure that I’ll still find many great recipes in the book. Does this recipe show up in any of your books?
I have been a fan of beef short ribs for decades. My recipe is basically the same except I did not use wine, nor did I strain the sauce. Using wine, straining and reducing the sauce took an awesome dish over the top.
Thank you.
I made this last evening for dinner. Followed the recipe exactly! This was the absolute best recipe! I’ll be making it often!✔️ Thank you ❤️❤️
My family loves these. I use an emersion blender on the sauce at the end.
Made this and my boyfriend said this was my best batch of short ribs to date. I cooked them in the oven within a Dutch oven chicken fryer (pan with approx 2 in sides and lid). I accidentally set the temp at 365 f but they still came out great! Thank you for the recipe!
This was honestly outstanding! I didn’t have bone in short ribs, but I did purchase some boneless beef short ribs from Costco, and this came out so good. I cooked it in the over for 3 hours and it was perfect. My kitchen smelled amazing! I paired it with whipped mashed potatoes, and roasted garlic parm broccoli. Thank you for a great recipe!
I made this after having short ribs at Cinder in Melbourne (Australia)which had a to die for Sauce. I was very happy with this recipe. The sauce wasn’t as good as Cinder, but I used 1 cup of Red wine & 1 cup of low alcohol red wine & I didn’t have any celery. My husband loved it & I would make it again.
What a hit this recipe was!!! I served a small dinner party and they all raved about it. So easy to prepare and looked absolutely gorgeous on the table. I didn’t puree carrots and onions in with the sauce but blended them a bit with my immersion blender. Served over mashed potatoes and the ribs—turned out great. My husband has already asked for me to make it again. Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Yummy!
Have tried other short rib recipes but this is my go to! Always delicious!!!!!!
Beautiful perfect recipe. Thank you!
Hello, after I finished cooking, could I reuse the leftover sauce to cook a different batch of seared ribs in?
What are your favorite types of red and white wines for cooking?
Here’s a variation: — Brown ribs in bacon fat. — For those who don’t like the taste of wine in cooking, use beef V-8 instead. — A sprig of celantro leaves instead of thyme. — Add a couple pf mustard green leaves with the ribs cut out after the Soffrito is softened. — If you are brave, add a couple of cut up green roma tomatos after the beef is added back. They will disappear during the slow cooking but add a litlle lemony touch to the sauce. — I like to take everything out of the oven after 2 hours, set the rib aside, degrease, and using a hand blender turn the liquids into a thin gravy. Then dip the ribs in the gravy, put them on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes. This will give the ribs a wonderful glazed coating.
2nd time i have commented on your recipes and you haven’t answered. Why? Don’t know but i won’t anymore
We are devastated to hear this. I know must of us come here for your insights.
Followed this recipe exactly as written, was absolutely perfect! Everyone raved at how tender the beef was!
WOW! So I’ve tried this recipe before from someone else and it was very disappointing. I decided I wanted to try it again with yours, crossed my fingers and prayed lol. This dish was so good!!! I didn’t have anymore red wine so I used the sub (Worcestershire & water). Let’s just say I only have 2 pieces left. Next time I know I need to double this recipe or maybe triple. Might be my new holiday dish. Going to try your stuffed shell recipe next week.
Made as directed, was excellent!
Just a note about terminology: The difference between sofrito and mirepoix is that sofrito uses tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic while mirepoix does not. Sofrito is also fried in olive oil while mirepoix is traditionally slowly cooked in butter. You can also expect to find herbs added to sofrito but not in mirepoix.
Mark since we are discussing terminology, Sofrito Is Spanish and does contain tomatoes. Considering the next ingredient was tomato paste, it probably wouldn’t be too far off to call it Sofrito. That wasn’t the term used though. The term in the recipe was Soffritto which is the Italian name. Italian Soffritto is often made with onions, celery, and carrots as the base. Pretty sure these recipes are reviewed several times before they get published to make sure they don’t have mistakes in terminology.
I’ve made this recipe probably 10 times. This is my go to meal. Ribs are always perfect, sauce is incredible and family always cleans the plate (saw my daughter licking it 1 time). I did notice a hater or 2 in the comments – ignore them and keep making great food.
TY – for all the great meals!!!
Bill
Hey Nagi,
I read your recipe, but I need clarification on submerging the ribs in the liquid. To my understanding I thought that when you submerge the meat, it is called stewing. So I looked at your video and your ribs where not submerged. I thought liquid needs to be about an inch under the ribs. Please clarify for me as I would like to try your recipe.
Regards
Sophia