Braised Short Ribs
by: Three Many Cooks
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 12 short ribs (about 3 ½ pounds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, cut into medium dice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups each: red wine and chicken broth
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Adjust rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss short ribs evenly with oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding, add short ribs to hot pan. Cook each batch, turning only once, until well browned on each side, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Add onion; sauté until lightly brown and translucent, about five minutes. Add garlic and thyme; sauté until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in flour, then wine, followed by chicken broth and tomatoes. Return short ribs to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over pot. Use a potholder to press down foil so that it touches stew. Seal foil completely around edges. Place lid snugly on pot. Place pot in oven and cook until ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, about 1½ hours.
I never gave short ribs a second thought until my niece-in-law cooked them for us last year. Yummm… I have to cook without flour and use cornstarch to thicken things at the end when cooking on the stove. Would you add cornstarch before putting it all in the oven, afterward, or maybe even just do without?
Yes, Alice, I think I would make a cornstarch/water roux and add it at the end to the proper consistency. Good luck–hope you enjoy these short ribs as much as we have!
Hi Pam,
Your short ribs pictured in USAToday look amazing. How did you prepare the vegetables that are also in the picture? That plate is EXACTLY what I want to serve my family (husband and 3 very tall boys) for dinner Wednesday night.
Hi Carol,
I don’t have a copy of the newspaper in front of me but if I were going to serve vegetables with my braised short ribs I’d roast them in the 450 degree oven with the ribs. Of course they won’t take as long as the short ribs. Simply fill a rimmed baking sheet with potatoes and carrots tossing them with olive oil, salt and pepper. They should be cooked and golden in about 1/2 hours. Enjoy that meal with your husband and 3 very tall boys!
So funny- I made short ribs for the first time a week or so ago and my recipe was nearly identical to yours! Great minds, right? I cooked mine in the oven much longer at a lower heat… wonder if I needed to do that?
Hey Lori,
Yes, great minds do think alike! Having cooked stews at temperatures ranging from 250 degrees to 450 degrees, I prefer the higher temperature. Not only is it faster, you get really intense, rich juices. If you ever try this technique, let me know what you think.
Hi Pam,
thank you for showing a bachelor how to prepare a delicious, yet quick and easy dinner. I will make your short ribs tonight!
I know this is a simple question bordering on ridiculous, but what kind of red wine would you suggest using? I tried adding a Cabernet Sauvignon once, and it did not enhance the flavor of my stew. (I once read that good chefs use expensive wines to cook with – and it was)
I have Zinfandels, Barbera, Pinot Noir, Meritage, Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo… please advise.
(And if you have any wine-pairing advice, I am all ears!)
Thank you so much!
– Sharky
Hey Sharky,
I’m actually not sure why that cab didn’t work for you. The red wine for this stew doesn’t need to be pricy. It just needs to be deep, rich, full-bodied. I’d say the barbera would work well as would the cabernet franc and the meritage. The pinot noir would be a little delicate, I think. You’re only using a 1 1/2 cups of the wine in the short ribs–drink the rest!
what is the recipe for these short ribs using a pressure cooker?
Hey Connie,
I don’t use a pressure cooker. I simply use my oven as a modified pressure cooker. You’d need to check out pressure cooker recipes for beef stew to get approximate time.
I made this yesterday for dinner and everyone (even my 4 year old who is not very keen on meat) absolutely loved it!
Hello Pam,
This is my follow up to the whole wine quesion. First, I used a nice Cabernet Sauvignon (that I had previously opened) for the sauce and it worked nicely. The ribs were succulent and fell off the bone after just 1.5 hrs in the oven like you promised.
On wine-dinner pairing: I only had a small amount of the Cab leftover and it went well with the ribs. So I opened a bottle of a nice Barbera and that complemented the ribs and paired with my meal very nicely.
Now if I can only find a good way to clean the bottom interior of my new Le Creuset without damaging it… : (
Thanks again. You have a new fan in me.
– Sharky
Hey Sharky,
Don’t worry about what that pot looks like. You should see mine! Just consider it well loved. Glad you liked the recipe. Hope you keep coming back for more!
The short ribs were simply amazing! A wonderful meal on a cold evening! This is definitely a keeper! YUM! Can not wait to make it again. The leftovers were delicious! 🙂
I am planning a dinner party and think I am going to use this recipe. Do I need to do anything to the short ribs when I get them from the butcher? I know that they normally are cut into a small square, but I was wondering if I can ask the butcher to do that or if I will need to do that. I have never used short ribs before. Will I need to trim any fat off of the meat? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!