Description
This Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce recipe is a rich, succulent dish perfect for a special dinner or comforting meal. Tender beef ribs are seared and slowly braised in a flavorful mixture of red wine, beef stock, and aromatic vegetables, resulting in melt-in-your-mouth meat and a deeply savory sauce. Although traditionally cooked in the oven, this recipe provides versatile options for alternative cooking methods.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef
- 5 – 6 beef short ribs (300-400g / 10-14oz each)
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large onion (brown, yellow or white), chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 sprigs thyme (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
Liquids
- 2 cups (500ml) dry red wine
- 2 cups (500ml) low sodium beef stock/broth
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F) to prepare for slow braising of the short ribs, ensuring they become tender and flavorful.
- Season Beef: Sprinkle the beef short ribs evenly with salt and pepper on all sides to season the meat before searing.
- Brown Short Ribs: Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over high heat. Add half the ribs, browning aggressively on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes total. Remove browned ribs and repeat with the remaining ribs. This step seals in the juices and adds depth of flavor.
- Sauté Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pot, add the chopped onion and crushed garlic, cooking for about 2 minutes until fragrant. This builds the flavor base for the sauce.
- Add Vegetables: Add chopped carrots and celery to the pot, cooking for 5 minutes until the carrots soften and sweeten the mixture.
- Cook Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen its flavor and richness.
- Add Liquids and Herbs: Pour in the dry red wine and beef stock, then add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir well until the tomato paste dissolves completely into the liquid.
- Return Beef to Pot: Place the browned beef short ribs back into the pot, arranging them so they are submerged in the liquid. This ensures even cooking and flavor infusion.
- Braise in Oven: Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the meat is tender enough to be easily pulled apart with forks.
- Remove Beef and Keep Warm: Carefully take out the ribs while keeping the meat on the bone. Cover them to retain heat.
- Strain and Reduce Sauce: Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve, pressing down on the vegetables to extract maximum flavor. Return the strained sauce to the pot, bring to a simmer and adjust consistency by reducing to thicken or adding water to thin. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Arrange the short ribs on a serving plate, spoon the red wine sauce generously over the top, and serve immediately for a hearty and elegant meal.
Notes
- This recipe includes a video guide that demonstrates all steps visually for ease of following along.
- The use of red wine enhances the sauce with complexity and depth, requiring minimal other seasoning ingredients.
- While oven-braising is recommended for best results, this recipe is adaptable to stovetop, slow cooker, pressure cooker, or Instant Pot methods to suit your kitchen setup and time availability.
- To keep the sauce smooth, straining is recommended but can be skipped if you prefer a chunkier texture with vegetable bits.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 545 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1101 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 129 mg
