Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs
- PREP 20min
- COOK 3hrs 50min
- TOTAL 4hrs 10min
These short ribs turn out incredibly tender, cooked in a rich caramelized onion and red wine sauce. They are absolutely perfect served over our creamy polenta, homemade mashed potatoes, or next to a thick, crusty slice of bread.
You Will Need
8 bone-in beef short ribs (about 3 ¾ pounds), cut into 3-inch pieces
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (30ml)
4 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced, about 6 cups
2 tablespoons butter (28g)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (32g)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (16g)
1 ½ cups dry red wine, like Chianti, Bordeaux blends, or Merlot (355ml)
4 cups beef stock (945ml)
8 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Directions
1Prepare the short ribs: Season them on all sides with salt (we use 2 to 3 teaspoons of fine sea salt). Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat, then brown the beef on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to a plate. You may need to do this in batches.
2Cook the onions: When all the beef has been removed from the pan, reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and onions, then cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and continue cooking the onions, stirring occasionally and scraping up any stuck-on browned bits from the bottom and sides. The onions take 30 to 40 minutes to caramelize. Keep a close eye on them. When you notice they begin to brown, stir them more often to prevent burning.
3Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C).
4Build the gravy: Add the tomato paste, garlic, and flour to the caramelized onions. Cook, stirring around the pan for about one minute.
5Add the wine: Slowly pour in the wine, and bring to a simmer. Stir it around the pan and simmer for about 2 minutes. Continue to the next step when you no longer smell strong alcohol, but instead smell sweet onions with aromas of the wine.
6Braise: Add the beef stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Taste, and adjust with pinch or two of salt and pepper. Then. place the browned short ribs back into the pan so that they are covered by the liquid. Cover the pot with a lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for about 3 hours, or until the meat pulls easily away from the bone. Check on them about halfway to make sure the beef is mostly covered by the braising liquid.
7Serve: Remove the pot from the oven. Skim the excess fat from the surface of the sauce. Remove and discard the thyme stems and bay leaf before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Leftovers: Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. When storing these, I prefer to remove them from the bone and then keep them covered with the onion braising liquid. Reheat slowly over low to medium heat.
- Buying short ribs: Short ribs are cut from larger plates, so their width varies by store. Most often, you will see lengths of 2 to 3 inches, which is what was used in the photos above. There are two popular kinds of beef short ribs sold in stores, chuck and plate. Both work, but plate short ribs have the best balance of meat and fat and become especially tender when cooked low and slow. Do not use beef back ribs for this recipe.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.