Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

A bowl of slow cooked short ribs falling apart with a fork.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

This recipe for braised short ribs is a delicious, satisfying meal that will warm you up on a chilly winter night. This classic dish is made with meaty, succulent short ribs that are cooked low and slow in a rich sauce made with red wine, vegetables, and herbs. The result is tender, fall-off-the-bone meat that will warm your soul!

5 from 10 votes

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Course: meat

Cuisine: comfort food

Keyword: beef, braised, celery root, comfort food, dinner, meat, parsnip, red wine, short ribs

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 3 40

Total Time: 4

Servings: servings

Calories: 149kcal

Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)

Ingredients

4 big meaty short ribs (about 3 lbs total) excess fat trimmed
kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium carrot scrubbed (no need to peel), diced
1 stalk celery diced
1 very large onion diced
6 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour use a gluten free flour or omit for gf/Paleo
1 ½ cups dry red wine
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig fresh thyme sub ½ teaspoon dried

Instructions

Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator, season them generously on all sides with salt and pepper, then let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.* Add olive oil to a large dutch oven over high heat, then carefully lay the short ribs down in the hot oil. Let cook until deeply browned (about 5 minutes), then turn and brown on all remaining sides. Don't rush this step. Be sure the ribs are very browned on all sides in order to achieve the best flavor. Remove and let rest on a plate to collect all the juices.
Drain all but one teaspoon of fat, then add the carrots, celery and onion. Lower the heat and let cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the vegetables start to just barely brown, another 8 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir around until it gets caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until it's totally absorbed.
Add the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the water, bay leaves and thyme, then bring up to a boil.
Place the short ribs back in the pan along with their juices, then spoon some of the liquid and vegetables over top. Cover and place in the oven for 1 ½ hours.
Skim off any fat that accumulates on the top. Flip the short ribs onto the other side and add a bit more water to the pot if it's getting dry. Cook for an additional 1 ½ - 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove from the oven, skim off any additional fat, then let rest in the pot until ready to serve.
Serve the short ribs over mashed potatoes, polenta, risotto or egg noodles and be sure to spoon plenty of sauce over top.

Notes

*You can also make this recipe in a slow cooker. Brown the meat, cook the vegetables, then deglaze the pan with wine and water, then transfer to the slow cooker along with the meat. Cook on low for 5 hours or until the meat easily pulls away from the bones.
*To prepare in an instant pot, brown the short ribs, cook the vegetables, add the tomato paste and red wine on the highest sauté setting. Add the water, herbs and short ribs and bring up to a boil. Close and seal the lid securely, then pressure cook on high for 45 minutes and allow it to release on natural for an additional 15 minutes. Be careful when removing the lid. Skim excess fat off of the top and serve.

*short ribs will naturally render off a lot of fat. To keep the sauce from being too fatty, you can place the pot in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight so the fat solidifies on top. Then it can be removed easily. Reheat the short ribs and serve.

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