It doesn’t get any better than extra succulent and tenderly braised short ribs that fall off the bone. Slow cooked to perfection with caramelized and bold flavors; served best on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes!

classic red wine braised short ribs in speckled bowl with fork

If you haven’t eaten braised short ribs in your life as of yet…I’m deeply worried for you. As in, let’s gather everyone for an Intervention episode kind of worried. Haha. And you already know that I mean that in the most sincerest of ways, of course. In all seriousness though, this is a recipe that you most definitely want to make ASAP, folks. Okay okay, I realize that I am a tad bit biased but still hear me out, y’all!

Braised short ribs are one of those classic, cozy, and quintessential Fall-inspired dinners. Now I’ll be the first to tell you that short ribs can be on the pricier side when it comes to cuts of meat at your local butchers. It’s most certainly not like your typical everyday beef roast. However, when I tell you that it is surely worth every single one of your coins, I mean it! It’s almost reminiscent of a tight and warm hug but in food form, ha!

red wine braised short ribs on top of mashed potatoes in speckled bowl

Ingredients To Make Braised Short Ribs

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • beef short ribs
  • dry red wine, such as merlot or cabernet sauvignon
  • high quality beef broth
  • butter
  • vegetable oil
  • celery hearts
  • shallot
  • garlic cloves
  • fresh thyme
  • fresh ginger
  • kosher salt/freshly ground black pepper
  • brown sugar
  • smoked paprika
  • chipotle powder
  • jamaican allspice
  • bay leaves

Phew, sounds like a lot of things huh lol…all of these elements of flavor yield one amazing dish! These braised short ribs simmer away until super tender and absorb all of the spices and aromatics. We’ve got our salt, fat, acid, and a touch of heat. Additionally, there’s some brown sugar thrown in there to provide some balance against the other ingredients. This entire recipe is just a pot full of extra delicious love you guys!

red wine braised short ribs with mashed potatoes in speckled bowl on beige surface

How To Make Braised Short Ribs

  1. Season beef short ribs with salt/pepper and let sit to marinate.
  2. Cook short ribs in vegetable oil until lightly seared on all sides.
  3. Then, transfer short ribs to a plate and set aside.
  4. Add butter into same pot and then shallot, celery, garlic, thyme, and ginger.
  5. Allow mixture to cook until fragrant.
  6. Deglaze pot by adding in red wine, then brown sugar, and let come up to a slight boil.
  7. Stir in paprika, chipotle powder, and allspice.
  8. Add short ribs back into the pot along with beef broth and bay leaves.
  9. Allow everything to continue cooking by transferring pot into the oven for at least 2 hours.
  10. Short ribs will be extra tender and fall off the bone. Serve and enjoy!

Can You Taste The Wine?

No- while wine is a tasty flavorful element here, the red wine gets burned off during the cooking process. We’re also using a dry red wine and this adds the acidic component in these braised short ribs.

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black hand on glass of red wine with speckled bowl full of mashed potatoes and braised short ribs

What To Pair With These Braised Short Ribs

I usually serve my braised short ribs on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, y’all. That is because these ribs are a match made in scrumptious heaven with some kind of starchy side; for example, polenta and grits also work great. However, any of your favorite sides will do! Other pairings include rice, buttered noodles, mushrooms, vegetables, and/or salad. You could even do potato salad or mac and cheese, extra yum!

Why Are My Short Ribs So Tough?

Honest answer, you likely didn’t let the short ribs braise for at least 2 hours. That length of a slow cooking process is imperative for the tissues within the meat to break down and tenderize. Although very tempting to wanna eat asap (trust, I know), allow the short ribs to properly braise for the most excellent results!

What Does Braising Mean?

So, braising is the cooking process in which meat of some form is browned in fat (usually butter/oil); and then slowly cooked on low heat with liquid. The liquid itself can be water, broth, wine, sauces, or a combination of previously said elements. In a nutshell, to braise is to cook low and slow yielding fall-off-the-bone and succulent meat. Braising also leads to such flavorful dishes because of the time it takes.

braised short ribs with mashed potatoes in speckled bowl with fork

Can I Use A Slow Cooker?

Yes! After searing the short ribs via the stovetop and sautéing the aromatics together; you can then transfer everything into a slow cooker if you’d like. And let cook for 3 hours on high setting/6 hours on low setting.

How To Source Short Ribs

Beef short ribs are typically cut into two categories: flanken style and english-cut style. So, flanken refers to a very thin cut that is cut across the bone (think of Korean-style ribs). Alternatively, english-cut style short ribs are cut between the ribs, which leaves a more thicker/meatier type of cut. And for this braised short ribs recipe, you will need english-cut short ribs. They are deliciously thick, ultra meaty, and have nice fat on them. The fat provides structure that keeps these braised short ribs juicy and tender, chef’s kiss!

How To Store These Braised Short Ribs

Listen, braised short ribs taste even better the next day! The flavors deepen since the meat continues to saturate in all the goodness. After braising the short ribs, with any leftovers, skim off the fat from the top and transfer meat and liquid into an airtight container. The braised short ribs will keep in the refrigerator for roughly 3-4 days. Then when ready to use, simply reheat as necessary.

black hand taking a forkful of braised short ribs and mashed potatoes in speckled bowl

These braised short ribs are so nice to make for nearly any occasion- date night-in, treating yourself, and everything in between. I hope you all enjoy this recipe and I can’t wait to see all the recreations!

This post was originally published on 10/20/2019 and has been updated as of 9/24/2020.

REMEMBER TO LEAVE A ⭐️STAR RATING⭐️AND TAG ME ON THE ‘GRAM IF YOU MAKE ANY OF MY RECIPES! I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE IT WHEN YOU DO!

Until next time…love and butter,

Q.

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red wine braised short ribs on top of mashed potatoes in speckled bowl

Classic Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

★★★★★ 5 from 17 reviews
  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 10m
  • Cook Time: 3hr
  • Total Time: 3hr 10m
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Braising
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

It doesn’t get any better than extra succulent and tenderly braised short ribs that fall off the bone. Slow cooked to perfection with bold flavors; served best on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2–3 lbs beef short ribs, english-cut
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 3 celery hearts, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Jamaican allspice
  • 2 1/2 cups high-quality beef broth
  • 4 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Generously season short ribs with salt/pepper all over and then place them onto a plate and put short ribs in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This process allows the meat to marinate.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300°F. 
  3. Meanwhile, on the stovetop, in a large dutch oven: heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides until a nicely browned crust appears, about 3-5 minutes on all sides. Depending on the size of your ribs, you may need to do this in batches. Once all ribs have browned, transfer them to another plate and set aside.
  4. Add butter into pot and once butter has melted; add in shallot, celery, garlic, thyme, ginger, and let sauté until mixture becomes fragrant, about 5-6 minutes, while stirring constantly.
  5. Deglaze the pot by adding in red wine, scraping up any bits on the bottom of pot with a wooden spoon. Add in brown sugar and allow mixture to come up to a simmer, about 4-5 minutes.
  6. Add in smoked paprika, chipotle powder, and allspice. Continue stirring to fully incorporate.
  7. Lastly, place short ribs back into the pot along with beef broth and bay leaves. Be sure that short ribs are fully covered under liquid and cover dutch oven with a lid.
  8. Remove from heat and transfer dutch oven pot (fitted with a lid) into the preheated oven. Let short ribs continue braising for at least 2 hours or until meat is extra tender and falling off the bone. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
  9. Serve braised short ribs with sauce over mashed potatoes or as desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. If you’d like a thicker sauce: simply dissolve 2 tablespoons of corn starch (or arrowroot/alternative starch) into 2 tablespoons of water, creating a slurry (thickening agent). Then pour into pot and mix together.
  2. Short ribs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  3. Slow-Cooker Method: Make the recipe as written and then at step #7, transfer everything into slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high/6 hours on low  or until ribs are tender and fall off the bone.

Keywords: braising, short ribs, beef, fall, autumn, slow cook