Melt-in-your-mouth braised short ribs in a savory red wine sauce. This is one of my go-to dishes for winter dinner parties and holidays. Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are a truly indulgent but easy comfort food that always awards me compliments from guests.
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Recipe
My Dutch oven is my best friend in the colder months. It produces the most tender meat dishes, soups, and even breads. Much like my short rib ragu and braised pot roast, these slow-cooked short ribs are a rich, fall-off-the-bone recipe. You get the most flavorful, tender meat in a set-it-and-forget-it recipe that’s so simple. Red wine braised short ribs are the perfect cold-weather meal.
With a perfect golden sear, the short ribs are cooked low and slow for about three hours and accompanied by savory aromatics, fresh earthy herbs, and tender root vegetables in a rich red wine sauce. This red wine braised short ribs recipe is perfect for any special occasion or comfy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- Bone-in beef short ribs. I like to get these from my local butcher or meat counter at the grocery store so I can pick the best ones.
- Kosher salt. Coarse salt to add to the short ribs before browning.
- Flour. Flour is used to coat the short ribs to support a nice golden sear and help thicken the sauce.
- Aromatic vegetables. Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic create a flavorful base for the braising liquid.
- Tomato paste. Adds a concentrated, rich tomato flavor to the savory sauce.
- Red wine. Red wine is used to deglaze the pan. I like using full-bodied red like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or zinfandel.
- Beef broth. The broth is used in addition to wine to help tenderize and flavor the meat.
- Fresh thyme and bay leaves. These fresh herbs infuse the dish with earthy herby flavors.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Alternative Ways to Cook Braised Short Ribs
- Pressure cooker: Sear the short ribs using the “Sauté” function, then sauté aromatics (onion, garlic, carrots, celery) in the same pot. Deglaze with wine, add broth, and cook the ribs on high pressure for 45–50 minutes, followed by a natural release for 10 minutes. Reduce the sauce if needed and adjust seasonings before serving.
- Stovetop: Sear the short ribs in a Dutch oven, then sauté aromatics and deglaze with wine and broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise on low heat for 2.5–3 hours, checking occasionally. Once tender, reduce the sauce if necessary and adjust the seasonings.
- Slow cooker: Sear the short ribs and sauté aromatics, then transfer both to the slow cooker with wine and broth. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours until the ribs are tender. Remove the ribs, reduce the sauce, and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Instructions
Brown the short ribs
Once the oil is hot, place each short rib in the pan. Sear each side for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Set aside on a plate for later.
Soften the aromatics
Drain most of the meat drippings from the pot. I like to keep 1-2 tablespoon for the sauce. Add in your onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until they soften. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Deglaze
Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until all the vegetables are coated and the paste has browned. Pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Braise
Add the short ribs back to the pot, and then add the beef broth, herbs, and bay leaves. Stir it, cover the Dutch oven and place it in the preheated oven on the lowest rack. Cook for 2-2.5 hours.
Reduce the sauce
Uncover the pot and cook for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the bay leaves and thyme. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes or polenta with a ladle of extra sauce. Enjoy!
Sarah's Top Tips
- Allow the short ribs to come to room temperature before cooking to ensure an even cook.
- Use an herb bag or wrap them in kitchen twine to make picking out your herbs easier. Both make removing the herbs from a steaming hot sauce a bit easier.
- Rest the braised short ribs for 10-15 minutes before serving them to allow moisture to redistribute.
- I like to leave my short ribs in the pt while reducing my sauce, but a lot of recipes say to remove them after the ribs are braised. You can remove the meat from the pot and set it aside, then strain out all the aromatic vegetables. Reduce the braising liquid to concentrate the wine and gelatin from the stock (and any additional gelatin that the short ribs added). Then, add the short ribs back to the pot.
Serving
My favorite way to serve these red wine-braised short ribs is over mashed potatoes with sauteed green beans. They’re also delicious over ground polenta, pasta, or rice.
Storage & Reheating
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. I like to keep my short ribs and braising liquid in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. Reheat on the stovetop by gently warming them on low heat for 20–30 minutes, adding a bit of broth if needed. Freeze for longer storage, up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
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Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste, (double or tripe concentrated)
- 2 cups full-bodied red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot
- 2 cups beef broth, or stock
- 5 fresh thyme, sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat dry the short ribs with paper towels and season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper on all sides. Next, coat the short ribs on all sides with flour. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until browned. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
- Carefully drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons of drippings from the pot.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and stir until slightly softened about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
- Next, add in the tomato paste and allow this to brown for about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and carefully scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the broth, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring it to a simmer.
- Cover the pot, transfer it to the lower part of the oven and cook for 2-2 ½ hours. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
- Remove from the oven and discard the bay leaves and thyme. Adjust the sauce to taste with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve over mashed potatoes with extra sauce. Enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Allow the short ribs to come to room temperature before cooking to ensure an even cook.
- Use an herb bag or wrap them in kitchen twine to make picking out your herbs easier. Both make removing the herbs from a steaming hot sauce a bit easier.
- Rest the braised short ribs for 10-15 minutes before serving them to allow moisture to redistribute.
- I like to leave my short ribs in the pt while reducing my sauce, but a lot of recipes say to remove them after the ribs are braised. You can remove the meat from the pot and set it aside, then strain out all the aromatic vegetables. Reduce the braising liquid to concentrate the wine and gelatin from the stock (and any additional gelatin that the short ribs added). Then, add the short ribs back to the pot.
- You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. I like to keep my short ribs and braising liquid in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
- Reheat on the stovetop by gently warming them on low heat for 20–30 minutes, adding a bit of broth if needed.
- Freeze for longer storage, up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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