Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are a dish that's served in many upscale restaurants; but don't let that discourage you, it's incredibly easy to make right at home. Served with a savory sauce made from the braising liquid, you can confidently save some coins and create this from your own kitchen!
These braised beef short ribs are literally fall-off-the-bone tender and packed with tons of flavor from the braising liquid as well as our cooking methods. Although this dish always looks fancy, I promise it's mostly hands-off cooking and something that any home cook can create within a few hours of their day!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $7.82
- Total Cost (about 6 servings): $46.93
- Those Other Guys: $48.00 per serving
Ingredients
- Beef Short Ribs - You can find these at your local butcher or grocery store. Grab the bone-in variety, and look for a bright-red pack with good marbling.
- Beef Stock - Part of our braising liquid is comprised of beef stock. This provides a deep, savory flavor infusion into the meat.
- Dry Red Wine - Red wine has lots of acidity that breaks down the collagen in tougher cuts of meat like beef. It tenderizes and enhances the overall taste of your dish. I suggest a Cabernet, Malbec, or Shiraz.
- Tomato Paste - Sautéing tomato paste for a few minutes brings out the natural sugars.
- Celery, Carrots, Onion - Also called a "mirepoix". Dice these up really small, so they can easily be blended into the sauce. Most recipes call for removing these after cooking, but now you don't have to waste them!
- Rosemary & Thyme - Fresh herbs are cooked in the sauce for aromatics and subtle flavors throughout. I recommend using a spice bag if you have one to keep everything together.
- Worcestershire - For a slightly smoky element to the sauce. It provides depth to our braised beef.
- Molasses - There's a lot of savory elements here; a bit of molasses helps balance out all of the flavors.
- Seasonings - All you need for the short ribs are salt and pepper. The beef bouillon adds an extra pop of taste to the entire dish.
Variations and Substitutions
No Wine: If anyone at the table cannot consume wine, you can substitute with either balsamic vinegar, 100% grape juice, or 100% pomegranate juice.
Other Veggies: You can also use other root vegetables like parsnips or turnips.
Serve This With: Classic red wine-braised short ribs are served over creamy mashed potatoes. I also recommend a roasted vegetable like asparagus, broccolini, or brussels sprouts. With some fluffy yeast rolls on the side, you have a hearty and cozy meal that will impress your guests!
How to Make Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Step 1: Liberally season your short ribs on all four sides with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Meanwhile, dice the carrots, celery, and onion into small, even-sized pieces.
Step 3: Add a bit of butter to the bottom of a large Dutch oven, then sear the short ribs on two opposite sides.
This usually takes 3-4 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the seared ribs and set aside.
In that same pot, sauté the mirepoix until softened. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and molasses and cook that down.
Step 5: Now it's time to deglaze the pot with the red wine and beef stock! Pour those in, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Step 6: Add in the fresh herbs and garlic (I recommend using a spice bag for this) as well as the beef bouillon.
Let this come to a simmer, and taste to ensure it's seasoned to your preference.
Step 7: Place the seared ribs back into the simmering pot. Cover, and bake at 350℉ for 3 hours, removing the lid for the last 30 minutes to get a nice browning on the tops of the short ribs.
Step 8: Finally, remove the braised short ribs (gently - they will be falling off the bone!) and discard the spice bag.
Use an immersion blender to blend the liquid and the vegetables for a thicker pan sauce. Add the beef back in, and you're good to go!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Take the lid off... at the end. Baking the last half hour, uncovered, helps brown the tops of the short ribs and gives them even more flavor and tenderness.
- Don't waste the veggies. The starch from the sautéed veggies will thicken up (when you blend them with the braising liquid) to create a sauce that can be drizzled over your plate. No need to waste those flavor-packed vegetables!
Recipe FAQs
Not at all. Unlike some recipes, we only use about 1 cup of red wine in the recipe. The sauce won't taste like wine after slow cooking for 3 hours.
Try balsamic vinegar, 100% grape juice, or 100% pomegranate juice.
Wine naturally has a ton of acidity. This breaks down the collagen in meat. You can use red wine for red meats like beef, or a dry white wine for more sensitive proteins like chicken or fish.
For this recipe, I suggest a Cabernet, Malbec, or Shiraz.
You can store the ribs along with their sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
When ready to eat, reheat gently. If using the microwave, add a cover or paper towel over the plate because the sauce will pop!
Other Sunday Dinner Recipes You'll Crave!
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Tongs
- Dutch Oven with lid
- Wooden Spoon
- Wine Opener
- Can Opener
- Spice Bag
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef short ribs about 12 count
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons black pepper
- 2 ounces carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- ½ count yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 cup red wine cabernet recommended
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon
- 1 count garlic bulb sliced in half lengthwise
- fresh rosemary sprigs
- fresh thyme
Instructions
- To begin, season the ribs generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
- If you haven't already done so, dice the carrots, celery, and ½ an onion into even-sized pieces.
- Melt a pat of butter in a large Dutch oven. Swirl the pot to distribute the butter evenly.
- Sear the short ribs for 3-4 minutes on two opposite sides, working in batches if all of your ribs won't fit at once.
- Remove the seared ribs and set aside. Then, add in the diced veggies to the Dutch oven.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and molasses. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in the beef stock and red wine. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350℉.
- Add in the beef bouillon.If you have a spice bag, place the garlic bulb (split in half horizontally), fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme inside and then add to the pot. If not, it's okay.
- Once the liquid begins to simmer, taste it to ensure it's seasoned well.Next, add back in the seared ribs.
- Cover the pot, and bake in the oven for 2 ½ hours on the lowest oven rack.
- Take off the cover, and bake for an additional half hour to brown the tops of the ribs.
- Remove the pot from the oven, and then gently remove the short ribs from the pan.They should be falling off the bone, so be careful!
- Use a large spoon to remove excess fat and the garlic/herb bag from the liquid.
- With an immersion blender, blend the liquid + veggies to create a thick sauce.
- Finally, return the short ribs to the sauce and serve hot.I highly recommend serving over mashed potatoes with a drizzle of the red wine sauce on top. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think!