Feb 11, 2022 · Modified: Apr 21, 2022 by Andrea· This post may contain affiliate links · 29 Comments

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Name: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: 4-5 lbs (1.8 kg – 2.2 kg) Beef short ribs; Salt and pepper; 2 tbsp avocado or grapeseed oil; 1 large Spanish onion, (large dice); 2 medium carrots, (large dice); 2 stalks celery; 6 cloves garlic (smashed); 3 tbsp all purpose flour or gluten free alternative; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 2 cups red wine; 4 cups chicken stock, low or no sodium; 3 sprigs fresh thyme; 3 bay leaves; 1 bunch parsley stems

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If you have never tried red wine braised short ribs you are missing out on one of life's greatest food pleasures! Although the cooking time is long, the active time is minimal, easy, and the ingredients are readily available. This is comfort food at its finest!

braised short ribs on cauliflower and celeriac puree.

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The Ribs
Ingredient List
How To Make this recipe
Substitutions
Pro Tips
For the Livy Method
How to store Short Ribs
Try These Sides with your short ribs
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The Ribs

Beef short ribs are a perfect cut for slow cooking. Braising allows time for the tough connective tissue to break down which results in succulent, melt in your mouth, fall off the bone decadence. The marbling of fat is what makes this cut of meat so juicy and flavourful.

They are called "short ribs" because of the part of the ribs they are cut from. The ribs shown above are full ribs cut in half. If your grocery store doesn't carry them you should be able to find them or request them at your local butcher.

Ingredient List

beef short ribs
avocado or grapeseed oil
Spanish onion
carrots
celery
garlic
all purpose flour
tomato paste
red wine
chicken stock/broth (low sodium)
fresh thyme
bay leaves
parsley stems

All ingredients for making braised short ribs.

How To Make this recipe

Brown - First the ribs are browned on all sides. This is the first level of flavour and shouldn't be skipped. If you are doing the full recipe you want to brown the ribs in at least 2 batches, depending on the size of your pan. If the pan is overcrowded it will create steam which prevents browning.
Sauté - Set the ribs aside and sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Do this on a lower heat and the longer you take the more the flavour will develop. Letting the vegetables brown a little bit will also level it up. Then add the flour and tomato paste. The flour is used for thickening the sauce and the tomato paste adds more depth of flavour.
Add the liquid - Now the braising liquid goes in. Add the stock/broth and wine.
The ribs - Add the ribs back to the pot making sure they are mostly or fully submerged in the liquid. Add a bit more wine and/or stock if necessary.
Aromatics - Now add the thyme, bay leaves and parsley stems.
Cover and bake - Put on the lid and pop in a preheated 325 F oven for approximately 2 ½ hours or until fork tender (use 2 forks to see if you can pull it apart easily) and falling off the bone. Times will vary depending on the size of the ribs.
Strain - This step is optional. If you want a silky smooth gravy then straining the sauce is the way to go! Remove the ribs to a plate or platter and strain the sauce through a mesh sieve, pressing down on the vegetables to extract as much flavour as possible. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Substitutions

Beef Short Ribs - Other cuts of braising beef will work with this recipe such as chuck, shanks, brisket, or pot roast. Keep in mind that cooking times will vary depending on the size of the cut you are using and whether you cut it into pieces or make a whole roast.

Spanish Onion - Any large onion will do but I would stay away from sweet ones like Vidalia. Substitute 2-3 small yellow onions for one large onion.

All-Purpose Flour - You can use any gluten-free alternative or you can thicken the sauce after straining with a small amount of cornstarch mixed with water. Whisk into the sauce and bring to a boil.

Red Wine - Although all of the alcohol evaporates during cooking, you can opt for an alcohol-free version. A dark stout would also be nice. If you prefer to not use any alcohol you can substitute with more low or no-sodium stock/broth.

Chicken Stock - If you want an even richer sauce, you can use beef stock or broth (low or no sodium).

Fresh Thyme - If you don't have fresh thyme (although I highly recommend it) substitute with ½ teaspoon dried. Rosemary is also nice here.

Pro Tips

Use a medium-full bodied red wine for this recipe. You absolutely do not need to use an expensive bottle however it should be drinkable. Note: I didn't specifically chose the Carmenere (similar to a Merlot) shown in the picture. It just happened to be the best one on our wine rack for the job!
If you want to kick this dish up a notch; sauté some mushrooms and/or pearl onions while the ribs are in the oven and add to the finish dish.
If you don't have an ovenproof dish big enough, you can transfer everything to a large casserole dish. place the ribs bone side up, pour in the liquid, cover and bake. This is the Le Creuset Enameled Dutch Oven that I used for this recipe.
If the sauce seems fatty, pour into a tall container or jug and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. The fat will solidify on top and is then easily removed.
This dish is actually better served the next day so if you have time refrigerate overnight and reheat slowly on the stovetop before serving.

For the Livy Method

This is a high protein meal perfect for dinner with added vegetables and leafy greens such as Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Lemon Garlic Kale or choose from many other side dishes found below and in my Side Dishes category.

How to store Short Ribs

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. This dish also freezes well for up to 3 months.

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Try These Sides with your short ribs

📖 Recipe

red wine braised short ribs in a large pot

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5 from 14 votes