Braised Short Ribs

Everyone has a recipe for braised short ribs – different ways to slow cook a flavorful cut of meat and break it into delicious submission. Most variations include aromatic veggies, herbs and spices, and usually red wine. Whether you strictly follow this recipe or use it as a guide, you will not be disappointed by time’s ability to make you a delicious dinner. Why? When you braise short ribs all afternoon with red wine and aromatic veggies, you are rewarded with a delicious meal that’s devoured in literally 10 minutes. I served the short ribs on pasta and made a herby vinaigrette to top a garden salad. Seriously delish!

Ingredients

Six short ribs (about 2 lbs)

1 Cup of chopped fennel (1 small fennel, or ½ of a large one)

1 cup of chopped onion (sweet is preferred)

½ cup of chopped carrots

½ cup of chopped celery

2 Tbsp. of finely chopped garlic (2-8 cloves)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme)

2 cups beef broth

1.5 cups of red wine (about ½ of a bottle)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Cookware needed

Cutting board

Good knife

Measuring cups

Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid

Directions

1. Adjust the racks in your oven to accommodate your Dutch oven / large pot. Then, preheat your oven to 275◦.  
2. Take your short ribs out of the fridge and set them on a plate. We want the meat to come to room temperature.
3. Chop your veggies and measure your other ingredients.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium – medium high heat in your Dutch oven / large pot.
5. Dry the short ribs with a paper towel. Season liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
6. Working in batches, sear the short ribs for about 2 minutes on each side. You want each side to have nice, golden brown caramelization. Set the seared short ribs aside.
7. Reduce the heat to medium.
8. Add the chopped fennel, onion, celery, and carrots to the pan, and cook until they are softened. (They don’t need to be totally translucent, but close.) Add the garlic, and cook it for about 1 minute. (Remember, garlic burns easily, so stir this regularly.)
9. Add 2 tbsp. of tomato paste and 1 tsp. dried thyme. Cook for another minute or so while stirring.
10. Now, add short ribs plus any of their juice, half a bottle of red wine, and 2 cups of broth to the pan. Turn up the heat, and bring this to a boil. Check the seasoning (to do this, take small sample of the sauce, and add any necessary salt and pepper.)
11. Cover the dish, and place it in a 275° oven for 3-ish hours.
12. Remove the dish from the oven and drain any fat pooling at the top.
13. Move the dish to a burner set on low. Add a splash more of red wine, and leave uncovered until you are ready to serve.

Notes and Serving Suggestions

• The ingredients are flexible and to-taste. This is a forgiving recipe. No fennel, add extra onion. Only have red onion on hand, no biggie. Want to us parsnips? Go for it. This is a very you-do-you recipe.
• I love garlic, and I always ere on the excessive side. Some people do not love garlic as much as I do. Feel free to reduce / omit the amount I include.
• I also love salt, and proper salting is one of the things that makes restaurant food taste good. Some people do not share this love and/or need to be cautious about sodium intake. If this is you, start with a ¼ tsp. at each step where I add salt.
• Prepping the veggies and ingredients ahead of time may seem inefficient. I promise it makes everything go more smoothly.
• Because the short ribs are rich, I recommend lighter veggies as a side – a simple salad or lightly steamed asparagus would work well.
• The short ribs can be eaten on their own, or served with pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes, cauli-mash, crusty bread, or anything else that sounds good to you! Let me know what you try!

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