Short Ribs Recipe

Season and sear short ribs

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat short ribs dry with paper towels. Season all sides evenly with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Lightly dust each rib with the 1 tbs flour, shaking off excess. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tbs neutral oil. When shimmering, sear short ribs in batches (do not crowd) until deep golden brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove browned ribs to a plate.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tbs unsalted butter to the pot. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize the paste.

Deglaze and build braising liquid

Pour in 1 cup red wine and 1 cup port wine to deglaze, scraping up brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the alcohol reduce for 2–3 minutes. Add 3 cups beef stock, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 2 bay leaves. Return the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot; the liquid should come at least halfway up the ribs—add up to 1/2 cup more stock if needed.

Braise

Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise until meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Check once after 1.5 hours and baste if desired. When done, remove the pot from the oven. Transfer short ribs to a tray and keep warm; strain and reserve braising liquid, discarding solids. Skim excess fat from the surface of the liquid or refrigerate briefly and remove solidified fat.

Make the port reduction

Pour 0.75 cup additional port wine into a small saucepan and bring to a brisk simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce by about half to a syrupy consistency, about 8–12 minutes. If you prefer a slightly less dense sauce, add up to 0.25 cup reserved beef stock while reducing. Taste and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Mount the sauce

Lower heat to low. Whisk in 2 tbs cold unsalted butter, one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. If using, whisk in 2 tbs heavy cream for a silkier finish. Keep warm but do not let it boil.

Optional glaze with braising jus

If you kept some braising liquid, you can reduce 1/2 cup of it with the port reduction for extra depth—simmer both together until desired thickness, then strain and mount with butter as above.

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add 12 oz dried pappardelle and cook until al dente according to package instructions, usually 7–10 minutes for dried. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, reserving the water.

Toss pasta

In a large mixing bowl or the empty pasta pot over low heat, add 1 tbs unsalted butter and 1 tsp olive oil. Add drained pappardelle and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan; toss gently to coat. Add a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and create a silky coating. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Keep warm.

Assemble short ribs in pappardelle

Remove bones from short ribs and shred meat into large pieces using two forks, discarding connective tissue. If you prefer, keep one rib bone-in for presentation. Divide the tossed pappardelle onto 4 warmed plates (serves 4). Nestle generous pieces of shredded short rib on top of each portion of pasta (about 1 short rib per plate). Spoon the port reduction over the meat and pasta, and drizzle a little of the braising jus if desired (about 1–2 tbs). Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan.

Serve immediately while hot. Offer extra port reduction at the table. Leftover braised short ribs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; sauce will thicken and can be loosened with a splash of stock when reheating.