Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe

Prepare ribs

Pat the short ribs very dry with paper towels. Season all sides evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Optional dredge

If using flour, lightly dredge each seasoned short rib in flour, shaking off excess. This helps with browning and slightly thickens the braising liquid.

Brown the short ribs

Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and let it shimmer. Working in batches if necessary, add the short ribs and brown on all sides until deeply caramelized, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer browned ribs to a plate.

Sauté vegetables

Reduce heat to medium. If pan is dry, add a touch more oil (1 tsp). Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add smashed garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Add tomato paste

Push the vegetables to one side, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly — this deepens flavor and reduces raw tomato taste.

Deglaze with wine

Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and reduce the wine by about half (3–5 minutes) to concentrate flavor and burn off alcohol.

Add stock and herbs

Return the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour in enough beef stock to come about two-thirds of the way up the ribs (approximately 4 cups). Add thyme sprigs, rosemary, bay leaves, and the optional brown sugar or honey. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.

Oven braise

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to a preheated oven set to 325°F (160°C). Braise until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Check once halfway through to ensure liquid level is adequate; add a little hot stock or water if it looks low.

Finish braise

When ribs are fork-tender, remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the short ribs to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids and skim excess fat from the surface (or refrigerate to remove fat more easily).

Reduce sauce

Bring the strained braising liquid to a simmer over medium heat and reduce until slightly thickened and saucy, about 8–12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Whisk in the cold butter cubes off the heat to glossy-finish the sauce.

Serve

Spoon some sauce onto a plate or over mashed potatoes/polenta. Place 1 short rib per serving on top, spoon additional sauce over the meat, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.