Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

Braised beef short ribs on mashed potato.

5 from 3 votes

Learn how to make meltingly tender red wine braised beef short ribs with pro tips for wine, cuts, timing, and make-ahead sauce options.

Prep Time30

Cook Time3 30

Total Time4

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Global

Servings: servings

Author: Margie Nomura

Ingredients

6 bone-in short ribs usually about 3.3 lb (1.5 kg)
2 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
1 red onion roughly chopped
2 celery stalks roughly chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
3.5 fl oz red wine
1 whole head of garlic halved through the middle (skins on is fine)
1 small bunch of fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
10 fl oz beef stock 1 1/4 cups or enough to cover the ribs (top up with water, stock, or wine for this)

To serve:

Creamy mashed potatoes
Chives

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat the short ribs dry to help them brown nicely. Season generously with salt and, if possible, leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry brine. If you don’t have time, just move on to searing.
Heat a large Dutch oven pot (you want an ovenproof dish with a lid and heavy bottom) over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, then sear the ribs until they’re well browned but definitely not cooked, then set aside. You just want some color. Add carrots, celery, and onions to the same pan with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and the red wine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan).
Add the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and stock. You want enough stock to almost cover the ribs - around 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/300 ml), but it could be as much as 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml), depending on your pan. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then nestle the ribs back into the sauce. Cover with a lid.
Cook low and slow for about 3 1/2 hours in the oven. If you’d prefer, you can do it on the stove on a really low simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender.
Once out of the oven, there will likely be a nice layer of fat in the pot. I like to remove some of it (keep some as fat is flavor), but if there is a lot, you don’t want it to feel too greasy. I use a large spoon to skim the fat off the surface and discard it.
Remove the ribs from the oven, then strain the sauce into a bowl to remove the vegetables and herbs.
Then return the sauce to the same pan and bring to a gentle simmer on medium-high heat. Reduce the sauce until thickened; it will depend on how much sauce is leftover after you’ve cooked the meat, so this could take a range of time. Look for visual cues to see how thick it is; it should nicely coat the back of a spoon once reduced. Return the ribs to the sauce.
Pull the bones out of the short ribs and then return the meat to the sauce (or leave bone-in if you prefer). If there is some jellified fat on the short ribs, you can trim this off before serving, as it’s not always a nice texture to eat.
At this stage, you can refrigerate them for 1–3 days and reheat when needed. Otherwise, serve straight away with creamy mashed potatoes and a scattering of fresh chives.

Video

Notes

Make-ahead and storage

Keep leftover short ribs in their sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Storing them in the cooking liquid keeps the meat tender and stops it drying out.

To Reheat: Gently reheat the ribs in their sauce either on the stove over low heat (covered) until warmed through. Add a splash of stock or water if the sauce has thickened too much.

To Freeze: Once cooled completely, portion into airtight containers with some of the sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.

Make Ahead: I find the flavor often improves after a night or two in the fridge. Cook the short ribs fully, let them cool, then refrigerate in their sauce. Skim any solidified fat from the surface before reheating.

Leftover Sauce: If you have extra sauce, don’t throw it away - it’s packed with flavor. Stir it into soups, use as a base for a stew, or even toss with pasta for a rich ragù-style dish.

Nutrition