These Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and mind-blowingly delicious. Short ribs slowly simmer in a flavorful red wine and herb sauce until they melt in your mouth.
If you’re looking for an elegant meal that’s EVEN BETTER than what you could order at a restaurant, this recipe is for you. Beef short ribs and mashed potatoes is the ultimate comfort meal!
“I made this for my husband’s birthday yesterday and it was unbelievably delicious! I served it with mashed potatoes. Lots of rave reviews and requests for it to be made again and again.” – Lori, So Much Food reader
Table of Contents
What Is Braising, Anyway?
I know “braising” sounds intimidating, but it’s actually one of the simplest, most straightforward cooking methods! Essentially it’s a combination cooking technique that features both wet and dry heat. The meat is first seared in a pan to lock in tons of flavor, then cooked low and slow in a covered pot (preferably a Dutch oven!) with some type of liquid.
In this recipe, we’re braising beef short ribs in red wine. Some form of braised short ribs have been on just about every menu of every restaurant I’ve worked in.
But here’s my big secret: braised short ribs are impressive and elegant, but they’re actually SO easy to make at home. Most of the cooking is hands-off and you’ll look like a total kitchen professional when you whip these out of the oven.
If you’re looking to elevate your at-home dinner game for a dinner party, romantic dinner, or just a comforting meal, then you need these short ribs braised in wine in your life!
Useful Kitchen Tools
Ingredient Notes
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities, and method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Bone-in beef short ribs. Short ribs are such a treat and full of flavor. You could also use boneless short ribs, beef chuck, or even beef brisket with similar results.
- Mirepoix. The combination of onion, carrot, and celery is classic and builds the flavor for the braising liquid.
- Red Wine. Go for a bold red wine here. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive, but it should be something you’re willing to drink! I typically go for a decent Merlot or Bordeaux.
- Beef stock. I always recommend making your own or buying quality beef stock found frozen in some high-end grocery stores.
- Herbs. Fresh thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary add tons of flavor that just elevates this dish.
- Dijon mustard. Adding a bit of dijon to the braising liquid adds extra savory notes.
- Flour. Just a bit of flour helps thicken the braising liquid so that you end up with a totally delectable sauce.
- Tomato paste. A bit of tomato paste adds incredible depth of flavor to the braise.
What to Look for When Buying Short Ribs
When it comes to buying beef short ribs for braising, there are a couple of things to keep in mind!
There are typically two different types of beef short ribs to choose from: English-cut beef short ribs (hearty pieces cut along the bone) and flanken beef short ribs (thinner pieces cut through the bone, think: Korean BBQ).
For this recipe, you’ll want to use English-cut short ribs. They’re readily available at most well-stocked grocery stores or specialty grocery stores. If you have the option to, visit your local butcher!
Look for beef short ribs that are well-marbled with some fat, but still have a significant amount of meat on the bone. Some short ribs are almost all fat and you’re left with very little meat after they’re done cooking. The bone adds great flavor to the braise, but if you can only find boneless short ribs, they’ll work just fine.
How to Make Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
- Sear the beef. You’ll want to pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel before seasoning and searing. This removes any excess moisture, which encourages instant searing vs. steaming. Sear the short ribs in batches, if needed!
- Sauté the veggies. Remove the short ribs to a plate and reduce the heat so you don’t burn the veggies. I like to add a little butter to the pot, and I ALWAYS leave the beef drippings where they are because they’re packed with flavor. Give the onion, celery, and carrots time to develop a little color in the pot before adding the tomato paste.
- Cook the tomato paste. So many people skip this step, but by cooking the tomato paste for just 1 to 2 minutes, you’re giving the natural sugars in the paste time to caramelize and deepen in flavor.
- Add the braising liquid. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and cook to remove its raw flavor before stirring in the braising liquid (wine, Dijon, and beef stock).
- Braise for 3+ hours. Return the seared short ribs to the pot, add the herbs, and pop the lid onto the Dutch oven. Transfer to the oven and cook at 350ºF until the meat is falling off the bones.
Jenny’s Tips for Perfectly Tender Short Ribs
Don’t skip the sear. Really taking time to brown the short ribs is the first step in building layers of flavor in your braise. Don’t rush this step, and take care to not crowd the pot. You’re looking for the short ribs to be a nice, deep brown before moving on to the next step.
Season throughout. Good flavor doesn’t just happen! The best and most flavorful foods happen when you season throughout the cooking process, not just at the end. Be liberal when seasoning the short ribs and be sure to season the veggies as they cook down.
Caramelize the veggies. When you saute the mirepoix, you really want to let them caramelize! This also adds tons of flavor to the braising liquid. You don’t want them to just get soft, you really want to let them brown for a bit.
It takes as long as it takes. All cooking times that I provide are estimates. Everyone’s oven is different and meat behaves differently in different cooking settings. On average, short ribs take anywhere between 3 to 4 hours to braise, but they’re done when they’re tender and easily shredded.
Alternate Cuts of Beef You Can Use
Sometimes short ribs can be too expensive or hard to find. If that’s the case, there are easy swaps you can make! You want a cut that has enough fat and marbling to make it flavorful and keep it from drying out. Below are my favorites:
- Beef Chuck. A humble and flavorful cut, beef chuck is perfect for braising. A chuck roast is usually known as the cut your parents used for pot roast, a large triangular cut from the chuck of the cow. It’s well marbled with fat, which prevents it from drying out during low-and-slow cooking.
- Brisket. Also a fairly cheap cut of beef that’s packed with flavor. The brisket is a long cut from the breast/chest of the cow and is sectioned into two parts: the flat and the point. The flat has a layer of fat running across the top, but it is just that: a flat square piece of meat. It’s great for braising. The point is more pointed in shape and has a much higher fat content. Both work well, but if you’re using the point, plan to trim some of the excess fat away.
Jenny’s Tips: If you plan to use a cut of beef besides short ribs, I recommend going with 3.5-4 pounds of meat. Cut the meat into 3-inch pieces before searing.
What to Serve with Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
If you’re throwing a dinner party or just want a nice dinner to enjoy, here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with beef short ribs in red wine.
Leafy salad. Something like a kale Caesar salad, loaded wedge salad, or a roasted delicata squash salad.
Mashed potatoes. I always serve this with my creme fraiche mashed potatoes, but it also pairs well with horseradish mashed potatoes. (Cheesy polenta is another comforting option!)
Dinner rolls. My fluffy dinner rolls are foolproof, but I often make my honey pumpkin dinner rolls in the fall and winter.
Dessert. My favorite low effort/high reward desserts are my almond ricotta cake, skillet chocolate chip cookie, and pumpkin cream cheese bundt cake.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Braised Beef Recipes to Try
If braised dinners are your favorite, be sure to check out my cookbook! It contains 60 easy recipes for fall-off-the-bone beef, poultry, and pork.
- Red Wine Braised Beef
- Coconut Braised Beef
- Red Wine Braised Beef Shanks
- Beer Braised Brisket
- French Onion Braised Beef
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 5 lbs bone-in English-cut short ribs
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 3 celery ribs, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 cups bold red wine (like Bordeaux or Merlot)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350ºF.
- Sear the beef. Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a dutch oven on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the beef on all sides until browned. You may need to do this in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Remove the beef from the pan.
- Sauté the veggies. Decrease the heat to medium and add the butter. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots to the pot and saute for 6-8 minutes, while stirring occasionally. You really want the veggies to brown a bit. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Cook the tomato paste. Add the tomato paste to the veggies and stir well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the tomato paste has darkened in color a bit. Sprinkle in the flour, stir, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Mix the braising liquid. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the red wine, dijon, and beef stock. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then pour it into the pot and stir well so that there aren't any clumps of flour. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
- Add the beef back to the pot. Nestle the short ribs into the pot. It should reach about 3/4 of the way up the short ribs. Tie the thyme and rosemary into a bundle with kitchen twine and nestle them in the middle of the meat. Tuck the bay leaves into the sauce around the short ribs. Cover and transfer to the oven.
- Braise. Braise for 3 – 3 1/2 hours, until the beef is very tender. Remove from the oven and let it rest covered for 30 minutes. Season the short ribs to taste with additional salt and pepper. Discard the herbs and serve the short ribs drizzled with the braising liquid over mashed potatoes, risotto, or polenta.
Notes
Nutrition
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