Red wine braised short ribs recipe (2024)

This recipe for red winebraised short ribs is perfect for chilly evenings when you crave a comforting meal.Cooked low and slow in the oven, these soft and flavorful short ribs fall right off the bone. Serve them over buttery mashed potatoes with plenty of red wine sauce.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my cider braised short ribsand my porcini-crusted beef tenderloinrecipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my beef recipes in one place.

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Why you should make this recipe

Short ribs are a cut of beef that benefit from long, slow cooking. If you are craving an incredibly delicious meal and you don’t mind puttering away in the kitchen for a bit, this is a recipe for you.

• Make ahead – You can absolutely make these red wine braised short ribs ahead of time. I’ll give you options for this below.
• Hands off cooking – The majority of the cooking time is hands off time. Sure, you have to do a few minutes of light work, but the bulk of the cooking is done in the oven.
• Great for gatherings – This recipe feeds 6, but you could easily adjust to feed more.

Red wine braised short ribs recipe

This recipe is so full of flavor! If you’ve never made braised short ribs before, you are in for a treat. They are well marbled, which means the meat will be incredibly tender and succulent.

It is not a difficult recipe, but it does require a bit of time, so this is the kind of meal that you want to reserve for a weekend day, like coq au vin.

Braises are perfect for cooler weather, although I enjoy them all year! It’s a long, slow process. Usually comfort food, it is easy, mostly hands off cooking.Many braises are one-pot meals, which means you aren’t left with a bunch of dirty dishes, something I can really appreciate.

Ingredients

Aside from the short ribs and the wine, the rest of the ingredient list is pantry basics that you likely have in your kitchen.

• Short ribs – I use bone-in short ribs.
• Red wine – Look for a dry red wine, something that you would drink. You will taste the wine in your sauce, so make sure it is a wine you like.
• Flour – A light dusting helps to thicken the sauce. Omit to make the recipe gluten-free.
• Beef stock – This will give the sauce a deep, “beefy” flavor. I prefer to go with low sodium options so I can control the amount of salt in the dish.
• Mirepoix – Onions, celery and carrots are known as “mirepoix”. They are base for many soups, stews and braises.
• Tomato paste – Tomato paste will add richness to the sauce, and a touch of sweetness.
• Garlic – Adjust to your personal preferences. My preference is a lot.
• Herbs – I’ve used fresh thyme and bay leaves. Rosemary is also delicious with short ribs.

How to make

Here’s a quick summary of how to make this red wine braised short ribs recipe. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

First, you’ll lightly dust the short ribs in flour before browning them. This flour will help to thicken the sauce as it cooks. After the shorts ribs are browned all over, add in the vegetables and the tomato paste.

Add the liquid and let it simmer for a few minutes, then nestle the short ribs into the pot, and slide it into the oven for the next three hours. If you have a few ribs that are on top of the liquid, flip them so the bone side is facing up. That will keep most of the meat submerged in the cooking liquid.

When the braised short ribs are fall apart tender, remove them from the pot and strain the sauce.

Save some of the vegetables to blend into the sauce if you like. Skim the fat from the red wine sauce, then blend it up and serve with the braised short ribs.

To strain the sauce, use a slotted spoon to remove most of the vegetables. Place them in a strainer set over a bowl, then pour the remaining sauce through the strainer. Reserve some of the vegetables for blending into the sauce.

To skim the fat from the sauce: you can use a gravy separator, or you can chill the strained sauce until the fat solidifies, then simply lift it off and discard.

When you have finished the sauce, you can return it to the pot with the short ribs, or you can serve the short ribs separately, with the sauce on the side.

Red wine braised short ribs FAQ’s

Variations and substitutions

To make these short ribs without wine, omit the wine and substitute with the same amount of additional beef broth and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

If you prefer a thicker gravy, purée half of the vegetables with your sauce to give it more body.

Swap out thyme for rosemary, or your favorite hearty herbs. I do not suggest using delicate herbs here, because they will not hold up to the long cooking time.

Serving suggestions

I really love this with mashed potatoes or mashed rutabaga to soak up all of the delicious sauce.

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• Caramel apple cupcakes with apple cider buttercream

Helpful tools and equipment

• Cutting board – This is a large cutting board that can go in the dishwasher to be sanitized.
• Kitchen tongs – One of the most used tools in my kitchen. I reach for tongs nearly every time I’m at the stove.
• Chef’s knife – This is the same knife I’ve been using for 20 years. It is a workhorse.
• Dutch oven – A large, enameled cast iron Dutch oven is the perfect pot for braises, stews, chili, etc. Take care of them and they will last a lifetime.

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Hello!All photos and content are copyright protected. Originally published October 14, 2018.