Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Savor the fork-tender goodness of red wine braised short ribs—the ultimate comfort food for a cold evening or holiday gathering.
If you’re in search of a hearty and comforting meal that is perfect for a cold winter evening or holiday celebration, give these wine-braised short ribs a try. They’re similar in taste and technique to beef bourguignon in that they’re first seared, then slow-braised until fork-tender in a rich and flavorful red wine sauce. For a leaner option, look for boneless short ribs, which have significantly less fat and are easier to trim and serve than the bone-in variety. However, if you can’t find boneless ribs, you can substitute 6 to 7 pounds of bone-in short ribs—the meat will fall off the bone as it cooks. Pair the short ribs with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta for a cozy yet elegant meal that will make everyone happy.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE RED WINE BRAISED SHORT RIBS
As always, when cooking with wine, use a bottle that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink; a Pinot Noir or Merlot in the $8 to $12 range is ideal.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Begin by trimming all excess fat off of the exterior of the short ribs (although leave the marbling that goes throughout the meat alone), otherwise, your sauce will be greasy.
It’s also a good idea to remove any silver skin, which is the thin, white/silvery membrane on the surface of the meat.
Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the short ribs and cook, without moving, until well browned on one side only, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and short ribs.
Browning the beef adds flavor. It may seem strange to brown one side only, but it saves a lot of time and does the job just as well.
Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat, return the pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the pan.)
Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes more.
Add the tomato paste.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add the flour.
Cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed by the onion-tomato mixture, about 1 minute.
Add the wine, broth, sugar, bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits.
Add the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil.
Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 hours. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the carrots.
Cover and return the pot to the oven and cook 45 to 60 minutes more, or until the carrots and meat are tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Skim any grease off the surface of the sauce, if necessary. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Spoon the short ribs and sauce into bowls over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta.
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
By Jennifer Segal
Savor the fork-tender goodness of red wine braised short ribs—the ultimate comfort food for a cold evening or holiday gathering.
Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 3 Hours Total Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 pounds boneless short ribs, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin, cut into 3-in chunks (see note)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2⅓ cups red wine (see note)
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons sugar
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 large carrots, sliced ½-in-thick diagonally
INSTRUCTIONS
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the short ribs and cook, without moving, until well browned on one side only, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and short ribs. (Note: Browning the beef adds flavor. It might seem odd to brown on one side only but I find that it saves time and does the job just as well.)
Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat, return the pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the pan.) Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed by the onion-tomato mixture, about 1 minute.
Add the wine, broth, sugar, bay leaf and thyme sprigs; increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Add the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 hours.
Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the carrots. Cover and return the pot to the oven and cook 45 to 60 minutes more, or until the carrots and meat are tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Skim any grease off the surface of the sauce, if necessary. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spoon the short ribs and sauce into bowls over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta.
Note: It's very important to trim all excess fat off of the exterior of the short ribs (although leave the marbling that goes throughout the meat alone), otherwise your sauce will be greasy. It's also a good idea to remove any silver skin, which is the thin, white/silvery membrane on the surface of the meat. Note: In selecting wine for this recipe, look for an inexpensive bottle that's still good enough to drink: a Pinot Noir or Merlot in the $8 - $12 range would be ideal. Make-Ahead Instructions: The short ribs can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Reheat, covered, over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The short ribs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat, covered, over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Per serving (8 servings)
Calories:680
Fat:47 g
Saturated fat:19 g
Carbohydrates:12 g
Sugar:4 g
Fiber:2 g
Protein:41 g
Sodium:740 mg
Cholesterol:166 mg