Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe

Trim and season

Pat short ribs dry with paper towels. Trim excess silver skin if present. Season all sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly dust with flour if using, shaking off excess.

Preheat and brown

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). In a heavy ovenproof Dutch oven or braising pan over medium-high heat, warm vegetable oil until shimmering. Add short ribs in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and sear 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer browned ribs to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, add butter to the same pot. Add diced onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes to caramelize and remove raw flavor.

Deglaze and build braising liquid

Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer briskly 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add Worcestershire sauce and beef stock, stirring to combine.

Return short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot so the liquid comes about two-thirds of the way up the ribs (add a bit more stock or water if necessary). Tuck thyme sprigs, rosemary and bay leaves into the liquid.

Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the preheated oven.

Braise in the oven until very tender and pulling away from the bone, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Check once at about 1.5–2 hours to ensure liquid level is maintained; add a little hot stock or water if it has reduced too far.

Reduce and finish sauce

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Using tongs, transfer short ribs to a warm plate and tent with foil. Remove and discard rosemary stems and bay leaves. Skim off and discard excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid (or spoon into a fat separator).

Place pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and simmer the braising liquid until reduced and concentrated, about 8–12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning; add brown sugar or honey if you want to balance acidity. For a glossy finish, swirl in cold butter until melted.

If a thicker sauce is desired, whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry and slowly whisk into the simmering sauce until it reaches the desired thickness (usually another 1–2 minutes). Remove from heat.

Return short ribs to the sauce to warm through for a minute, spooning sauce over them before serving.

Serve short ribs over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta, spooning generous amounts of sauce over the meat. Garnish with chopped parsley.