Red wine braised short ribs are bone in beef ribs browned hard, then cooked low in a Dutch oven with a full bottle of reduced red wine until the meat slides off the bone. Plan on about 4 hours, most of it hands off at 325°F. Cooking them a day ahead makes the sauce easier to skim, which suits a dinner party.
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Which short ribs should you buy: English cut or flanken?
Short ribs come from the lower rib cage, and the cut matters more here than in almost any other braise. For this dish you want English cut ribs: single bones 2 to 3 inches long with a thick block of meat on top. They hold together in the pot and look generous on the plate.
| Cut | What it looks like | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| English cut, bone in | One bone with 2 to 4 inches of meat on top | Long braises like this one |
| Flanken | Thin strips cut across 3 or 4 bones | Grilling and Korean galbi |
| Boneless | Trimmed rectangles of rib meat | Braising, about 30 minutes faster |
Pick ribs with a thick meat layer and visible marbling, not ones that are mostly bone and fat. Count on roughly 13 ounces bone in per person, since bones and rendered fat account for close to half the weight. Five pounds feeds six. Boneless ribs work, but the sauce turns out thinner, because the bones and connective tissue supply much of its body.
Browning short ribs without burning the fond
Short ribs are tall and uneven, so they need browning on every meaty face, not just two. Pat them dry, heat the oil in a 6 to 7 quart pot over medium high heat until it shimmers, and work in two or three batches. Crowded ribs release steam and turn gray.
- Give each side 3 to 4 minutes, until it's deep mahogany and lifts off the pot without tugging.
- Stand the ribs on their narrow sides with tongs so those brown too.
- Pour off fat between batches if more than a few tablespoons collect.
- If the bottom of the pot looks black rather than dark brown, lower the heat a notch.
The browned layer on the bottom of the pot is where the sauce gets its depth, and burnt bits make it bitter. Use a titanium skillet for browning in batches if preferred, then transfer the ribs and deglazed juices to the specified covered braising pot. Check cooking area and capacity; a shallow skillet cannot hold this whole braise. Plan on 20 to 25 minutes for this step. It's the slowest hands on part of the recipe and the one that decides the color of the finished sauce.
Why reduce the red wine by half first?
A full bottle poured straight over the ribs tastes sharp and boozy even after three hours, because a covered pot holds in much of the alcohol. Boiling the wine down by half in the open pot first, about 12 to 15 minutes, drives off that raw edge and concentrates the fruit. You'll smell it change from sharp and winey to something closer to jam.
Do this after the vegetables and tomato paste, scraping the bottom as the wine bubbles to lift the fond into the liquid. Choose a dry, medium to full bodied wine you'd happily drink, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel or a Côtes du Rhône. Skip anything labeled cooking wine, which is salted. Heavily oaked bottles can turn bitter after a long reduction, and sweet reds make the sauce cloying.
The stock goes in once the wine has reduced. Together they should come about two thirds of the way up the ribs. If they don't, top up with water. Leaving the tops exposed lets them brown in the oven while the bottoms braise.
Is it better to braise short ribs a day ahead?
Usually, yes, for two practical reasons. Short ribs release a lot of fat, often close to a cup, and it's hard to skim from a hot sauce. Chilled overnight, that fat hardens into a pale layer you can lift off with a spoon. The meat also firms as it cools, so the ribs keep their shape when reheated instead of collapsing in the pot.
- Day one: brown, braise, then let the covered pot cool on the counter for about an hour.
- Within 2 hours of cooking: refrigerate the ribs in their liquid.
- Day two: lift off the fat, set the ribs aside, then strain and reduce the sauce.
- Reheat: return the ribs to the sauce, cover and warm in a 325°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the meat reaches 165°F.
The USDA guidance on leftovers says to refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours and eat it within 3 to 4 days, so ribs braised on Thursday are fine for Saturday. If your fridge is crowded, split them into shallow containers so they chill faster.
How thick should the braising sauce be?
Straight from the oven, the liquid is thin and greasy. Strain it through a sieve, pressing on the vegetables, then skim the fat and boil it in a wide pan until it's down to about 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. It's ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through leaves a clean line. Taste only at this point, since reduction concentrates the salt.
The ribs themselves are done when a fork slides into the thickest part with no resistance and the bone pulls free with a gentle twist. If they still feel tight after 3 hours, give them another 30 minutes. Tough short ribs are undercooked, not overcooked.
Serve each rib on something that soaks up sauce. Garlic mashed potatoes are the obvious partner, and soft polenta does the same job. A tray of roasted root vegetables or a sharp green salad balances the richness.
The recipe
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs in a Dutch Oven
Ingredients
For the ribs
- 5 lb (2.3 kg) bone in English cut beef short ribs (8 to 10 pieces)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
For the braise
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Côtes du Rhône
- 3 cups (710 ml) low sodium beef stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Season ahead. Pat the ribs dry and season all over with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Brown the ribs. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Heat the oil in a 6 to 7 quart Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown the ribs in 2 or 3 batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep brown all over, then move them to a plate.
- Soften the vegetables. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned at the edges, then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, until the paste darkens to brick red.
- Reduce the wine. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Boil until reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Braise in the oven. Add the stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves, then return the ribs bone side up with their juices so the liquid comes two thirds of the way up. Bring to a simmer, cover and braise in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until a fork slides in with no resistance.
- Chill overnight. For the cleanest sauce, cool the pot for about an hour, then refrigerate it overnight. The next day, lift off the solid fat with a spoon.
- Finish the sauce. Move the ribs to a plate. Strain the liquid, skim off any fat, and boil it in a wide pan for 15 to 20 minutes, until it's down to about 2 cups and coats a spoon, then season with salt.
- Reheat and serve. Return the ribs to the pot with the sauce. Warm them covered at 325°F for 30 to 40 minutes if made ahead, or 10 minutes on the stove if fresh, and serve with sauce spooned over and parsley on top.
Cook's notes
- No Dutch oven? Brown the ribs in a heavy skillet, then braise them in a roasting pan sealed tightly with two layers of foil.
- Boneless short ribs cook about 30 minutes faster. Buy 3 1/2 lb (1.6 kg) for six people.
- The ribs freeze well in their sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Leftover meat pulled off the bone makes a rich pasta sauce tossed with pappardelle and a ladle of the reduced braising liquid.
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs in a Dutch Oven questions
Do I need a Dutch oven for braised short ribs?
No, but you need a heavy pot with a snug lid that can go into a 325°F oven. A covered oven-safe vessel with the required capacity works. Without one, brown the ribs in a skillet, then braise them in a roasting pan sealed tightly with two layers of foil. Thin, light pots tend to scorch on the bottom.
Why are my short ribs still tough after three hours?
They need more time. Short ribs are full of collagen, and it only melts into gelatin after long, gentle cooking. Thick ribs or an oven that runs cool can take 3 1/2 hours or more. Check every 30 minutes; they're done when a fork slides in easily and the bone wiggles free. Keep the lid tight so they don't dry out.
Which red wine is best for braising short ribs?
A dry, medium to full bodied red you'd drink with dinner, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Malbec or a Côtes du Rhône. It doesn't need to be expensive. Avoid sweet reds and heavily oaked bottles, since the long reduction concentrates sugar and oak bitterness. Never use salted cooking wine, which makes the finished sauce too salty.
How do I reheat leftover short ribs without drying them out?
Keep the ribs in their sauce, cover the pot and warm them in a 325°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or over low heat on the stove, until the sauce bubbles and the meat reaches 165°F. Add a splash of stock if the sauce has set too thick in the fridge. Microwaving on high tightens the meat.
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