Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are the cold weather comfort meal you need to be making. Beef short ribs braised in red wine, beef broth, shallot, celery, carrot, herbs and spices.

It's amazing served over the top of Boursin mashed potatoes, alongside green beans with bacon, or with a loaf of crusty bread.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are one of those meals that just warm you up and make you feel good when the weather is cold and crumby. Braise the short ribs and relax until they're ready.

The extra bonus? Your house smells delicious while they cook. Which can really make it hard to wait for dinner time! But I promise, it's well worth it.

More dinner recipes you will love:

• Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
• Pork Sugo
• Garlic Chicken Pasta
• Pozole Rojo
• Cast Iron Salmon with Creamy Schug
• Mediterranean Bowl

Jump to:

• What is a beef short rib?
• What should you serve beef short ribs with?
• Ingredients for Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
• Equipment needed
• Tips for the best Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
• How to braise short ribs
• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

What is a beef short rib?

Beef short ribs are a cut of beef that has a short portion of the rib on it and has been taken from the brisket, chuck, rib or plate area of a cow. There is meat on top of the rib that varies in thickness. This cut of beef has a decent amount of fat.

Trim off the excess fat from the outside but leave a little for flavor. Cook the short ribs low and slow to make them tender.

Korean short ribs can be cooked quickly at high temps, though they are a slightly different cut and very thin.

When working with American or European style short ribs that are thick then braising, smoking or slow roasting are your best cooking methods. Braising is the cooking method used in this recipe.

What should you serve beef short ribs with?

Short ribs are delicious all by themselves but here are a few of my favorite things to serve them with:

• Mashed Potatoes - Serving beef short ribs right over the top of mashed potatoes is the ultimate comfort food. Grab my Boursin Mashed Potatoes recipe here!
• Polenta - Serving short ribs over the top of polenta is high up on my list. I like to add a little parmesan, fontina or blue cheese to my polenta
• Roasted Potatoes - Serving short ribs alongside roasted potatoes is never a bad idea
• Crusty Bread - A nice big hunk of crusty bread from the local bakery (or homemade) is always a good idea when eating something that has sauce to dip it in. Red Wine Braised Short ribs is no exception

Ingredients for Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

• Short Ribs - The star of the show
• Flour - To dredge the outside of the short ribs before searing. Feel free to use rice flour to make it gluten free
• Kosher Salt - Salt will help bring out the flavors of the dish
• Black Pepper - I prefer to use coarse ground black pepper
• Olive Oil - The short ribs need a bit of oil to sear
• Carrot - Carrot adds great flavor to any braise and they're my favorite thing to eat afterwards
• Shallot - This will help flavor the short ribs and the broth
• Celery - To add some depth of flavor to the braise
• Garlic - Garlic is always a good idea
• Leek - For a little extra flavor and texture
• Thyme - Thyme goes well with beef short ribs
• Bay Leaf - Adds depth of flavor to the braise
• Parsley - Adds a little freshness and flavor
• Tomato Paste - This adds a nice rich flavor to the short ribs and braising liquid
• Beef Stock - I like to use beef stock or beef bone broth here
• Red Wine - You can't have red wine braised short ribs without the red wine. I like using a Cabernet Sauvignon
• Roux - Roux is equal parts of butter and flour cooked together then added to thicken a sauce
• Slurry - If you want this dish to be gluten free, you can thicken the sauce with a slurry. That is a mixture of corn starch and cold water. Equal parts

Equipment needed

• Dutch Oven - A Dutch Oven is great for braising short ribs. Here is the one I use
• Oven - You'll braise the beef short ribs in the oven after heating them on the stove top
• Whisk - You'll need to whisk in the roux or the slurry to thicken the braising liquid at the end

Tips for the best Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

• This recipe can be made gluten free and dairy free by dredging the short ribs in rice flour instead of all purpose and then thickening the sauce at the end with a slurry instead of roux
• A roux is equal parts fat (usually butter) and flour. The fat is melted in a pan then the flour is added over low - medium heat while whisking. Cook the mixture for 3 minutes while whisking fairly often to cook the flour taste out of it. Either slowly whisk your liquid into your roux or vise versa. Make sure to whisk while adding to prevent lumps. Liquid will not reach full thickening capability until it is boiling
• A slurry is equal parts cornstarch and cold water mixed together. This can be whisked into a liquid that is either simmering or boiling to thicken it. Make sure to whisk continuously while adding to prevent lumps. The liquid will not reach its full thicken capability until it boils
• This is a larger meal. It feeds around 6 people so you can easily cut it in half if you only want 2-3 servings
• A Dutch Oven works great for this recipe. You can make it all in one pot that way
• This is a great meal to make ahead of time and re-heat. You can store the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just re-heat when ready to serve
• There aren't any short cuts in cooking these Red Wine Braised Short Ribs. They need the full 2-3 hours depending on the size of them. They won't become tender unless they're cooked long enough so don't try taking them out early
• I really like the taste of Cabernet Sauvignon for these braised short ribs but if you have a favorite red wine to cook with, you can use that
• Cut end and the dark green parts off the leek then slice it down the middle lengthwise. Submerge the leek in water for 10 minutes then rinse. Leeks are notorious for having sand, grit and dirt in between all the layers

How to braise short ribs

Preheat your oven to 350°. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper then dredge them in flour for searing. Heat your Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes then add the olive oil.

Sear the short ribs in the Dutch oven for 3 minutes per side. You may have to do this in batches. Set the seared short ribs to the side. In the same pan sauté the carrot, shallot, celery and leek for 2-3 minutes.

Add the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and parsley. Give it a stir and let it cook another minute. Add the tomato paste and stir in well. Cook for another couple minutes.

Add the short ribs back in then add the red wine. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in the beef broth. Bring to a simmer then cover and transfer to the oven for 2-3 hours until short ribs are very tender and falling off the bone.

While the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are cooking, make your roux (or slurry). Once the short ribs are ready remove them from the red wine braising liquid and set aside. Heat the Dutch oven on the stove top with the braising liquid and veggies still inside.

Whisk in the roux (or slurry) then continue whisking until liquid thickens. It should come to full thickening capability once boiling. If the sauce is not as thick as you'd like then make a little more roux and repeat the same process.

Serve the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs over the top of mashed potatoes, polenta or a side of your choice! Enjoy!

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Don't forget the mashed potatoes!