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 cannot wait to try this! However I can’t get short ribs but got beef rack ribs. Can I cut them up and do this?
Yes definitely Kristi – enjoy! N x
These were amazing! I used regular beef ribs because that’s all I could find, so the only complaint is my family wanted more! Beef short ribs are now available and I got some to cook next week. A new favorite at my house!
Ciao Nagi!
Buonissima ricetta! Yesterday I tried your recipe. Delicious….
My husband made these tonight. OMGOODNESS! I suggested a few additions like a little Kitchen Bouquet and some Herbs de Provence, These braised short ribs were delectable, delicious and mmmmmmm… fanastic. <3 I would recommend it to anyone.
This recipe looks great! Is the nutritional information broken down per serving or for the entire meal? thanks!
Hi Deanna, per serving. N x
Made this last night and it came out perfectly! I think this will now be our “go-to” recipe for short ribs. Thanks so much!
WAHOO!!! That’s awesome Jeff! N x
Made tonight with the Paris mash and some greens and it was off the charts! I cooked 1kg (5 short ribs) in my Dutch oven and it came out perfectly, no need to reduce. We ate with all the goodies left in the sauce. Def making again
YUM Michaela!!!
Received my Dutch oven Friday – perfect timing to try this recipe! Up in my word, I have never tasted anything so delicious! Husband and son #1 demolished the meal (which comprised of roasted potatoes and carrots).
Husband now wants me to try the lamb shank and artisan bread recipes.
I did a little twist to your red wine short rib and substituted it with a ‘hard’ rootbeer and regular beef ribs.. I did the slowcooker method. Carmelized them on the grill with your bbq sauce from your pork rib recipe.
Two great recipes in one for pure awesomeness!
YUM!!! Love this! N x
Just cooking this for dinner for DH and me. Smells wonderful on this cooler Sydney afternoon. I’ve tried a lot of your recipes now and have been very impressed. They have been consistently good. DH loves your meat pies.
Can I double this recipe?
500 gms is too little for my family.
If I double the meat, does it follow that I double all the other ingredients and cooking time?
Thank you.
This recipe looks yummylicious.
I’d love to try it.
Thanks for sharing it.
Stay safe in the present situation.
Nagi, your recipes are brilliant. This is just another tasty winner from your wonderful collection. So, thank you for sharing.
Is there anyway to prevent too much liquid reducing in the oven? I seem to always end up with a dry skillet before they’re finished cooking (I use an oven safe skillet with lid, as I don’t own a pot). Is it because I’m using a skillet, or perhaps my oven running too hot? Should I double the liquid?
Hi Stephanie, sounds like your oven is running a little hot. You can either cover it or just add extra water to the pan 🙂 N x
Can I used a red burgundy wines or this beef short rib recipe.
Yes 100%!! Enjoy Holmes! N x
Just made these today for Easter dinner…. ridiculously good. Will definitely make again. Such a big hit.
Wahoo, that’s awesome to hear Julie! N x
These ribs are the best beef I have EVER put in my mouth! So delicious, the flavor just never stops. The only sad part is when you finish the last bite and realize there is no more!
Wahoo, what a compliment, thank you so much! N x
OMG, those short ribs were out of this world. In Hawaii, we would call this onolicious! I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you Nagi!
Made this in the Slow Cooker today. Smelled amazing all day and The finished product was totally delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Karen! N x
Hello Nagi,
I have a silly question about the weight of the meat.
Is it 5 short ribs, each weighing 300 grams, for a total of 1500 grams?
Thank you,
Christine
Hi Christine, yes that’s correct 🙂
What size dutch oven are you using in the video? I am in the market for one and yours seems about the right size.
Hi Mark, mine is a 26cm pot – N x
Help Nagi! I can’t find short ribs anywhere in Sydney. I’ve tried the major supermarkets and 2 local butchers. Any tips on where else I may find short ribs? Thanks in advance.
ps I love your recipes and seeing pics of Dozer x
Hi Ida! You can make this with what’s sold as “beef ribs” at Coles and Woolies, they come vac packed. I think the brand is Drover’s something or rather?? I’m in the Northern Beaches (Mona Vale) and short ribs are sold at the butcher in Pittwater Place shopping centre (tiny centre that it is!), Devitt’s (popular wholesale place in Collaroy that sells to retail) and Mona Vale Quality butchers (which means, come to think of it, it’s sold at all my local butchers!!) N x
Hi Nagi,
Your another amazing recipe that i would like to try. Can i sub tomato paste with tomato passata? And sprig of thyme with dried thyme?
Hi Nagi,
thank you for your reply and for your useful tips. I’ll have another look at my local Coles and Woolies otherwise I’ll head over to the Northern Beaches which is not too far away. Thank you xx
Tasted the cooking broth. Added a couple of teaspoons of mushroom Better than Broth and it was amazing. Using a very nice red, nd beef broth. A Mazing!!! Now the long wait! Fingers crossed!