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A fork cutting into a tender piece of Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Sacha Hirschfeld

Fall-Off-The-Bone Braised Short Ribs

5 from 1 vote
This classic dish will cost you big bucks in a restaurant but is shockingly straightforward and simple to make at home! Cooked low and slow in the oven, these Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are lusciously fall-off-the-bone tender; no knife needed!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Braising Time In The Oven 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 8 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Calories: 707
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs bone-in short ribs see notes
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil or another oil with a high smoke point, such as safflower, peanut, grape seed.
  • 6 garlic cloves finley chopped
  • 3 celery stalks medium sized; trimmed and chopped
  • 3 carrots medium sized; peeled and chopped
  • 2 parsnips medium sized; peeled, core removed and chopped
  • 1 yellow onion medium sized; chopped
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cups dry red wine see notes
  • 3 cups beef stock maybe more
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme don't skimp! err on using more than less
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp Italian parsley coarsely chopped

Equipment

  • 1 large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot (must be ovenproof)
  • 1 pair of tongs
  • 1 large plate
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 medium bowl only if thickening the sauce with flour
  • 1 whisk only if thickening the sauce with flour

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 275°F (135° C)
  2. Pat beef short ribs dry with paper towel. Generously season all sides with salt and black pepper.
  3. Heat oil in a large oven-proof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, aggressively brown all sides of the short ribs, about 6-8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate.
  4. Remove any excess oil, being sure to leave about 3 tablespoons in the pot (and all the dark brown bits from the meat). Turn heat down to medium. Add onion, celery, carrots and parsnips (if using); season with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat, cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5-8 minutes.
  5. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, being careful not to brown. Add tomato paste and stir until the vegetables are coated, about 2 minutes.
  6. Add red wine and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Let the wine cook off a bit, until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Stir in beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme.
  7. Using tongs, return the short ribs to the pot, along with any juices left on the plate. Make sure the ribs are bone side up, so the meat is submerged. If the short ribs are not covered in liquid, add more beef stock as needed. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. See notes if you don't have an ovenproof Dutch oven.
  8. Cook, undisturbed, until ribs are supremely tender, they will melt at the touch of a fork, about 2 ½ hours.
  9. Using tongs, transfer short ribs to a plate, taking great care to keep the bone "attached". This is entirely for presentation purposes of course, as the bone will have mostly separated from the meat during the braising process. Remove thyme sprigs.
    If you prefer serving it without the bone, simply cut the fatty bit on the underside of the meat that was attached to the bone. This is often how beef short ribs are served in restaurants.
  10. Here's where we get all choose your own adventure. You could either:
    1. Serve the sauce chunky, as is.
    2. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer, then simmer until liquid reduces to a syrupy-like sauce.
    3. Make a slurry with flour and braising liquid, then simmer, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
    I've made it allllll the ways, this is purely personal preference.
    To Thicken Sauce:
    Add flour to a medium bowl, and slowly add sauce, while stirring constantly, until the sauce consistency is like a pancake batter. Adjust heat to medium, stir the slurry back into the pot; mix to combine. Cook, while stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
  11. Serve short ribs over mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, or creamy polenta. Spoon sauce overtop and garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

What red wine should I choose for this recipe? 
Please don't waste your best bottle! You'll want to choose a bottle you would drink but something inexpensive. My go to is a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon, it's perfect for braising ribs and slow cooking! If you don't have a cab sauv. on hand, no worries! Feel free to use a shiraz, pinot noir, malbec, or zinfindel. 
Do I adjust the rest of the ingredients if I want to cook more ribs?
You can cook up to 5 lbs of short ribs without having to adjust any other ingredients. This recipe produces more than enough sauce! The only thing to keep in mind is you'll need to sear the meat in more batches. Feel free to adjust the weight of short ribs depending on the number of people you're cooking for.
What do I use if I don't have an ovenproof Dutch oven?
Using tongs, transfer short ribs to a baking or casserole dish large enough to fit all the ribs. Pour the braising liquid overtop, ensuring the meaty side is submerged. Top it off with beef broth or water if needed.