• Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • My Story
    • Hire
    • Custom Cakes
    • Handmade Treats
  • The Blog
  • The Scoop
  • Gluten Free
  • Paleo
  • Keto
  • GAPS

Edible Times

  • All Recipes
  • How To
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Desserts
    • Chocolate
  • Drinks
  • Kids

Succulent braised beef short ribs and their secrets

Dinner· GAPS· Gluten Free· How To· Keto· Paleo· Recipes

15 May
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Braised beef short ribs are one of my favorite slow-cooked meals! This cut of meat is affordable and absolutely succulent when cooked so the meat falls off the bone. Here are a few chef secrets for how to cook to cook them, and a crowd-pleasing short rib recipe that’s keto, paleo and GAPS diet friendly.

Braised short ribs on plate with bunch of fresh thyme and braising sauce.

The best cuts of meat for braising

Braising is a great cooking technique for tough cuts of meat. When cooked low and slow, the fibrous meat breaks down and the ample fat content gives you a tender, succulent bite. The cuts of meat that take best to a braise are shoulder, bone-in short ribs and beef cheeks (don’t knock ’em until you try em).

Short ribs on butcher paper.

These cuts are overall less expensive than leaner, tender steak cuts, and truthfully bring more flavor to your plate. As long as you possess the braising know how.

The art of the braise

Below I’ve boiled down the braising technique to six steps. These are the ones chefs live by when braising out-of-this-world oxtails for you. And if you retain even half of them, you’ll be well on your way to succulent, falling-off-the-bone beef. It’s well worth the effort for a restaurant-quality meal, and after a few rounds the process becomes simple and mindless.

Piece of braised beef short rib on fork with plate and wine in glass in background.

Setting up a successful braise

Season well & sear it right.  Be generous with your salt and pepper – you should be able to see ample seasoning on all sides.  First searing the meat over high heat is standard practice in a restaurant kitchen, and adds a rich flavor to the dish you can’t get anywhere else.

Short ribs seasoned generously with salt and pepper.

Choose your liquid wisely.  When braising or cooking a stew, your best bet is a low salt, high quality boxed stock, or homemade. But let’s be honest, not many of us have the time or desire to long simmer stock at home. A dry red wine like Merlot, Zinfandel or any Spanish red can add beautiful dimension to braised short ribs.  Equal parts wine to stock is my favorite ratio of braising liquid.

Braising short ribs in red Le Creuset dutch oven with vegetables and red wine.

Low temperature, long time.  Cover the seared meat with wine and stock about three-quarters up, and cook at a low, steady temperature. The oven is your friend here, no higher than 325° F. If you own a slow cooker, by all means put it to work. I personally find oven-braising to result in the most intense flavors.

Short ribs braising in red wine with herbs and vegetables

Resting the meat + simmering the sauce

Let it be. Check on the meat occasionally, but do not disturb it with so much as one single flip. Once it is almost falling off the bone, pull the meat gently out of the liquid, and cool it overnight. This allows the meat to retain moisture, structure and that succulence you just spent hours creating. Braised dishes are best if served the day after cooking, but I’ve never regretted enjoying the meat immediately.

Braised beef short rib with no meat on it, and sauce dripping off.

Strain and simmer.  The braising liquid is gold! Full of flavor it’s taken on from the meat and aromatic vegetables, it becomes one amazing sauce. Simmer the liquid and another good dose of beef stock over medium-high heat, until it reduces by about half. Strain out the vegetables for a smooth, silky glaze.

Warm and serve. Heat your braised short ribs (or other braise) in the oven, doused in plenty of sauce. If sent in alone, the long-cooked meat will dry out before you can say braise. 

Side dish ideas for braised meats

Simmered polenta with Parmesan, tomatoes and fresh parsley.

Braised short ribs and stews are primed for serving over a nice helping of mashed potatoes, or for a low-carb/grain-free option, a celeriac or parsnip purée. My personal favorite is a cheesy polenta, and the hassle-free recipe is below. Because we just spent three hours nurturing short ribs to perfect tenderness, there’s no need to overcomplicate the rest.

Yours in braising,

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon heart heart icon heart solid heart solid icon
Braised beef short ribs on plate with fresh thyme garnish.

Wine Braised Short Ribs + Parmesan Polenta

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2-3 hours
  • Total Time: 2-3 hours (not all active)
  • Yield: Serve 2–4 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Braising
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Tender, savory, succulent short ribs!  Braising is the only way to tenderize tough cuts of meat, and a low and slow simmer pays off big in flavor. This method is for oven-braising, but see the notes for slow cooker and stovetop short ribs.


Ingredients

Scale

Short Ribs

  • 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
  • avocado oil or ghee, for searing ribs
  • 2 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, rough chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, rough chopped
  • 2 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • beef stock, low-salt and organic recommended
  • dry red wine, such as Merlot, Zinfandel or Syrah/Shiraz 
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 star anise
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Polenta

  • 1 cup course ground corn meal (polenta)
  • 1 Roma tomato, seeds removed, small diced
  • ¼ cup Parmesan, grated or shredded
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream or créme frâiche
  • ¼ cup green onions, sliced thin on a bias
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Braise short ribs

  1. Preheat oven to 325° F. In a large pot or dutch oven with a lid, sear meat on all sides over medium-high heat until dark brown. Set aside.
  2. In same pot, add celery, onions and carrots and cook over medium heat in same oil until golden brown.
  3. Add about a cup of wine or beef stock, and reduce by half scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
  4. Add short ribs back to pot, and more wine and/or stock to come three-quarters of the way up the meat.
  5. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven until ribs are fork tender, and almost falling off the bone. Anywhere between 2 and 4 hours. Add more wine/stock as necessary to keep the level at least halfway up the sides of the meat.
  6. Take short ribs out of the pot and set aside. Remove bones, if desired.
  7. Simmer braising liquid until it reduces in volume by half, and begins to thicken slightly.
  8. Serve immediately, or chill overnight before reheating and serving. 

For ultimate short ribs

Braised meats are prime for eating once they’ve been cooled, chilled overnight and then reheated in their cooking liquid.  The connective tissue broken down during the initial cooking is given a chance to rest, ad once reheated allows for an even better bite.  

  1. Remove excess congealed fat from short ribs.
  2. Place ribs in a shallow pan or pot, and cover with the reduced cooking liquid.
  3. Reheat until hot in a 350° F oven.
  4. Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta or parsnip purée, drizzled with the glaze.

Cook polenta

  1. Whisk course ground cornmeal into 4 cups of salted, boiling water or chicken/vegetable stock. Simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often. Add more water or stock as needed.
  2. To finish polenta, stir in Parmesan, sour cream, diced tomato, green onions and plenty of salt and pepper.

Notes

For Stovetop 

All the steps are the same, except instead of placing the covered pot in the oven, you simmer on the stovetop.  Use a medium-low heat until the meat is nearly falling off the bone, 2-3 hours.

For Slow Cooker

Follow steps 1-3 for the short ribs above, then transfer seared ribs, aromatic vegetables, wine and stock to slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours, the proceed with steps 6-8.

Keywords: braised beef short ribs, how to cook short ribs, short rib recipe

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @edibletimes on Instagram and hashtag it #edibletimes

Related Posts

  • How to make roast beef in a cast iron skillet
  • How to choose the perfect wine with four fun theories direct from a sommelier
  • Chorizo & Parmesan shortbread recipe
  • A taste of Spain: Pollo al chilindron

3 Comments

Questions? Comments? Join in Below! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Comments

  1. winnie says

    May 17, 2012 at

    These look mouthwatering! I only get them in restaurants as my local market has very tiny ones that cost an arm and a leg. I am always jealous when I see nice ones in pictures. Maybe I will scout out a butershop… Thanks.

    Reply
  2. edibletimes says

    May 16, 2012 at

    Yes, but it probably would have been someone under the age of 18, which is a little more excusable!

    Reply
  3. [email protected] Family Moments says

    May 15, 2012 at

    They would’ve mysteriously disappeared from my fridge too. Yum!

    Reply

Let’s talk food!I am truly inspired when you comment. Your email will not be shared, sold, or added to the newsletter list. To subscribe to the Edible Times newsletter for exclusive content, sign up above.

Christina Bailey

Thanks for coming to Edible Times!

I'm Christina, a classically trained private chef + Chef Mom to two little boys. I'm here to empower you in the kitchen and in health by sharing not just delicious, chef-tested recipes, but the professional formulas and techniques, too. To read about me and my food philosophy, follow this. To get straight to cooking + baking head to the blog. To subscribe for exclusive content,join in below.

Trending

Mini tin cake plate with a variety of French macarons.
How to Make French Macarons
Sugar cube set over an absinthe spoon, set over absinthe in a glass on a table
Absinthe Cocktail

Hand holding a bitten-into Orange creamsicle macaron.
Orange Creamsicle Macarons
New Orleans red beans and rice on white plate
New Orleans Red Beans + Rice

Find recipes + techniques

In Season

https://edibletimes.com/gluten-free-vanilla-cake/
Vanilla Chiffon Cake (GF)
Bacon-wrapped asparagus on white plate.
How to Cook Asparagus

Sliced pork loin on plate with green beans.
Stuffed Pork Loin
Lemon macarons stacked on top of each other by Edible Times
Lemon French Macarons

Child's hands holding fresh fruit tart
Fresh Fruit Tart (GF)
Tomato and asparagus quiche from Edible Times
Tomato + Asparagus Quiche (GF)

my foodgawker gallery

browse recipes

  • Breakfast
  • Chocolate
  • Desserts
  • Dinner
  • Drinks
  • GAPS
  • Gluten Free
  • How To
  • Keto
  • Kids
  • Macarons
  • Op Ed
  • Paleo
  • Recipes
  • Vegan
Kitchen Assistant Update: She’s definitely got t Kitchen Assistant Update: She’s definitely got the puppy dog eyes mastered. 😍It’s amazing how quickly labs learn what works. Like chewing electrical cords won’t get you treats, but this choice will. @heath_woodlief
Who struggles with carb consumption? 🙋🏻‍♀️⁣⁣I hope these keto (low-carb) stuffed peppers may just inspire you. No rice, my friends. No rice.  My kids even ate them, which speaks volumes of their tasty goodness.😉 ⁣⁣For a true paleo diet, ditch the sour cream and top with avocado.⁣⁣Use the link in bio for the recipe, which includes the easy formula so you can buy the right amount of peppers and meat. Because Lord knows we could all use a little help at the grocery store. 😅
Hand up if you have a problem with Cadbury Creme E Hand up if you have a problem with Cadbury Creme Eggs this time of year...🙋🏻‍♀️😆 Mine is so intense, I dreamt up these Cadbury Creme Egg French Macarons. ⁣😱⁣From scratch, gluten-free, and while still sweet, absolutely no mystery ingredients to be found.⁣😁⁣That is all. ⁣⁣The recipe for chocolate macarons is in my bio link.  Fill with vanilla buttercream and this rich custard cream:⁣⁣INGREDIENTS⁣-4 egg yolks (about  2.25 ounces)⁣-⅓ cup granulated sugar (about 2.5 ounces)⁣-⅓ cup heavy cream (about 2.5 ounces)⁣-1½ teaspoons cornstarch (plus enough water to make a slurry)⁣-pinch of salt⁣-1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional⁣⁣METHOD⁣⁣1. In a small bowl, add drops of water to the cornstarch until you can stir it together to make a slurry (thick but pourable liquid).⁣2. Combine heavy cream and half the sugar in a small pot. ⁣Stir together egg yolks and the remaining half of sugar in a heat-proof bowl.⁣3. Bring heavy cream mixture just to a boil, then slowly drizzle into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.⁣4. Once heavy cream is incorporated into egg yolks, whisk in the cornstarch slurry.⁣5. Pour the custard mixture back into the pot, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until bubbles break the surface. ⁣6. Strain into a clean bowl, and press plastic wrap on the top to cool.⁣7. Chill a couple of hours to set.
Fasting or avoiding meat tomorrow for Good Friday? Fasting or avoiding meat tomorrow for Good Friday?⁣⁣Here's a link to my write-up on how to cook sockeye salmon so it's succulent and tender EVERY time. And a few different ways to easily punch up the flavor. ⁣⁣Easy link in my bio for how to buy, grill, roast, pan-roast, glaze, and even marinate sockeye Nobu-style (miso + soy + wine).
For some reason these didn’t post yesterday with For some reason these didn’t post yesterday with the first photo. Entirely user error.😅 Happy Sunday, everyone. Link to recipe and chiffon cake method is in bio. P.S. If this is the first you’re seeing this one, it’s a gluten-free vanilla chiffon cake. And one with a little less sugar than most!
🌷Spring has sprung! Which is the excuse I’m u 🌷Spring has sprung! Which is the excuse I’m using for eating most of this cake myself this weekend. It would also be a nice, light dessert for Easter! ☀⁣⁣🍓🍰It’s gluten-free (or use wheat flour), can be dairy-free, and isn’t COMPLETELY loaded with sugar if you top it with plain whipped cream and seasonal fruit like berries.😩⁣⁣The secret to a super-moist cake? Soak it in simple syrup, or even liqueur. Then you don’t have to share it with the kids! ⁣⁣Easy link to grab is in my bio for recipe and technique! @lauraevelynwelch this is the one you were asking for... like five months ago I think. Finally got to it! 😅⁣⁣😎Happy weekend everyone. Hope you are able to enjoy some sunshine. ⁣
🐶🥰Happy National Puppy Day from the Edible T 🐶🥰Happy National Puppy Day from the Edible Times Kitchen Assistant!Training (and the lack of productivity) continues. If she had it her way, there’d be more recipes and videos with cheese and duck liver on the content calendar.😅
Jiggly, fluffy, YUMMY Japanese soufflé pancakes t Jiggly, fluffy, YUMMY Japanese soufflé pancakes that are gluten-free AND grain-free. I'll go out on a limb and say you can even eat them on a keto diet, as long as you ditch the maple syrup.😉🍁⁣⁣I spent a lot of time whipping egg whites, and am excited to share the ingredients and three recipes for pancakes that meet any diet's desires. Use bio link for more!@foodblogfeed@thefeedfeed.glutenfree
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Refined theme by Restored 316