Slow-Cooked Brown Stew Beef Short Ribs
This Brown Stew Beef Short Ribs recipe fuses Jamaican-style, brown stew goodness and slowly braised short ribs. Get into the powerhouse of flavors going on here from a variety of Caribbean-forward spices. The end result is incredibly succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender beef short ribs swimming in a rich brown stew gravy. You’ll love the restaurant-quality vibe here with ease and no fuss, mmm!
My brown stew chicken recipe is one of the most-made dinners that I make for no specific occasion at all. The rich flavors, the aromatics, I just love it. I even messed around and developed a brown stew shrimp version as well, ha. Short ribs are one of my favorite cuts of beef, ever. I wanted to see what would happen if I continued on my deep penchant for all things “brown stew” with a different cut of protein.
Turns out, it ended well. Succulent, slick, and rich beef enrobed in typical Jamaican-forward, brown stew flavor. It’s fully loaded with spices, aromatics, and depth that hits the palate oh so wonderfully. Let’s get into it! 😌
Brown Stew Beef Short Ribs
This “brown stew” recipe was inspired by Jamaican flavors that are commonly present in brown stew dishes. Bold spices like thyme, allspice, and curry, browning sauce to enhance both the color and flavor, and so much more. After minimal prep work and a slow cook/oven braise, you’re left with a melting pot of goodness that hits the belly (and soul) nicely. It’s all so deeply comforting.
How To Make This Brown Stew Dish:
(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)
- Season & marinate the short ribs: In a large bowl, combine the short ribs along with all of the flavor agents/spices and mix to combine. Transfer to the fridge to let the flavors meld for at least 2 hours, more preferably overnight.
- Give ’em a quick browning: In a large dutch oven, sear the short ribs on all sides until a deep brown crust appears, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Sauté the veg: In the same pot, add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and scallions. Sauté the mixture until tender and fragrant.
Slow Cook & Braise Away!:
- Add liquid components: Add the beef broth, and use a wooden utensil to scrape up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking the mixture until it comes up to a brief simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the soy sauce and vinegar, and stir until well combined.
- Build the braise: Return the browned short ribs back to the pot along with any residual juices that have collected.
- Braise the short ribs: Cover the pot with a lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Allow the short ribs to braise at 300°F for 3 hours, covered- until the ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone.
- Serve the brown stew beef short ribs, stat!
Serving Your Brown Stew Beef:
Oooeee y’all, I love serving these short ribs alongside rice and peas, steamed cabbage, and sweet plantains. And psssttt, don’t forget to pour a little bit of the brown stew gravy right over it all, sheesh. This dish is great on its own, yes, but taken to a whole ‘notha level with those companions! 🤞🏾😮💨
Need More Serving Options?
These brown stew beef short ribs are also lovely with:
- Mashed potatoes (the best pairing imo!) or mashed cauliflower
- Creamy polenta or cheesy grits (peep my cheddar grits)
- Buttered pasta noodles or zoodles (zucchini noodles)
- Roasted veggies: broccoli, green beans, asparagus, brussels sprouts
- Brown rice, white rice, cauliflower rice, creamy risotto, rice pilaf
→ An unbeatable level of pure magic happens with braising; the meat’s connective tissues tenderize and break down while absorbing the flavors that it’s accompanied with in the pot. Braised short ribs take a few hours due to the slower cooking process, but boy, the wait is worth it. I know you’ll dig it, too! 🫶🏾
Goodness, y’all…this Brown Stew Beef Short Ribs dish is freakin’ insane! Flavor galore, easy as heck, and sooo dang scrumptious. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾
More incredible main dishes:
- Steak au Poivre
- The Best Burger Bowls
- Creamy Shrimp & Grits
- Miso Mushroom Pasta
- Pork Tenderloin w/ Cream Sauce
- Steak Lo Mein
Slow-Cooked Brown Stew Beef Short Ribs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Braise
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Description
This Brown Stew Beef Short Ribs recipe fuses Jamaican-style, brown stew goodness and slowly braised short ribs. Get into the powerhouse of flavors going on here from a variety of Caribbean-forward spices. The end result is incredibly succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender beef short ribs swimming in a rich brown stew gravy. You’ll love the restaurant-quality vibe here with ease and no fuss, mmm!
Ingredients
- 4 ½ lbs bone-in beef short ribs, english-cut, trimmed of excess fat
- 3 tablespoons Jamaican Jerk seasoning– homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ½ teaspoons browning sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- ½ cup green seasoning or sofrito
- 1 tablespoon Jamaican-style curry powder, I use Betapac
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for browning
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 6–8 scallions, chopped
- 3 cups beef broth, divided
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1–2 bay leaves & 1 scotch bonnet pepper (left whole), optional
Instructions
- Season & rest the short ribs: In a large mixing bowl, combine the short ribs, jerk seasoning, dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, allspice, browning sauce, ketchup, garlic paste, green seasoning/sofrito, curry powder, and salt/pepper, to taste. Use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves if desired) to carefully mix everything together, massaging the marinade into the short ribs. Then cover the bowl and transfer to the refrigerator to let the flavors meld for at least 2 hours, more preferably overnight.
- Pre-cook prep. Remove the short ribs from the fridge about an hour before you plan to cook, and let them sit on the counter to come up to room temperature. Afterward, preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Brown the short ribs: In a large dutch oven (at least 5-quarts in capacity + oven-safe) over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the mixture is shimmering, gently swirl the pot around to evenly coat the bottom. Add a few short ribs into the pot, working in batches, careful not to overcrowd. Sear the short ribs on all sides until a deep brown crust appears, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned short ribs onto a clean plate/small baking sheet and repeat the process until all the short ribs are browned, adding a slick more of oil into the pot, only if necessary. Then set the browned short ribs aside and reduce the heat to medium.
- Sauté the veg: In the same pot, add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and scallions. Sauté the mixture in the rendered beef fat, while stirring every so often. Season the mixture with salt/pepper, to taste. Continue cooking until the veggies are tender, golden brown, and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes.
- Bring the flavors together: Add 1 cup of beef broth to the bowl that the short ribs were marinating in and gently swirl to collect and gather up all the residual marination flavor/remnants. Then add that liquid to the pot along with the remaining two cups of beef broth, and use a wooden utensil to scrape up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking the mixture until it comes up to a brief simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the soy sauce and vinegar, and stir until well combined.
- Assemble the braise: Return the browned short ribs back to the pot along with any residual juices that have collected- the ribs should be almost completely submerged under the liquid. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the pot to a simmer, about 4-5 minutes, then remove from heat. If using, nestle the bay leaves and scotch bonnet pepper into the pot.
- Braise the short ribs: Cover the pot with a lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Allow the short ribs to braise at 300°F for 3 hours, covered- until the ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone.
- Adjust braising liquid, if desired: If you’d like to thicken the braising liquid in the pot (for a glaze-like consistency), follow the next steps. Remove the short ribs from the pot and place them onto a clean plate, and remove the bay leaves + pepper (if used) as well. Skim any fat off the top of the liquid. Cook the liquid over medium-high heat, gently stirring for about 5-10 minutes or until the liquid reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve the brown stew beef short ribs immediately. I love serving these short ribs with rice and peas, steamed cabbage, and sweet plantains with a bit of the brown stew gravy poured right over it all, whew. Garnish the dish with sliced scallions if you’d like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.
