Best Braised Short Ribs
It’s officially braising season and my absolute favorite braised dish is short ribs. Growing up, my mom would always make it around the holidays — it’s a dish that reminds me of cozy nights in front of the fire and it’s my all-time favorite winter comfort food.
Braising week in culinary school was one of my favorites (a close second to pasta week because carbs). During that week, we made a variety of different braises (think: braised pork with poblano cream sauce, chipotle pot roast...drool) and learned techniques and ingredients that bring them to the next level. This recipe is a combination of techniques I learned in cooking school and the flavors I remember loving from my mom’s braised short ribs growing up.
I love to serve this dish like my mom always does - over a bed of creamy parmesan polenta. It’s also delicious served atop mashed potatoes though. You really can’t go wrong!
I’m so excited to share my ultimate recipe with you — I hope you love it as much as I do.
Serves 5-6
INGREDIENTS
5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into a large dice
2 large carrots, cut into a large dice
2 ribs celery, cut into a large dice
5 large garlic cloves, smashed and left whole
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp fish sauce*
1/3 cup tomato puree
2 cups full bodied red wine (I like a cabernet sauvignon but use what you have!)
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1-2 cups beef broth
Kosher salt
Minced herbs to finish (I like chives or parsley)
METHOD
1-2 days before dinner (optional):
Season the short ribs on all sides with kosher salt. Place in a large bowl or on a sheet tray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for 1-2 days. This step isn’t absolutely necessary but it will be the difference between great short ribs and fantastic short ribs! The salt will permeate the short ribs and ensure they’re perfectly seasoned and flavorful. Even if you do this step a few hours before you start cooking, I recommend it!
Day of dinner:
Remove the short ribs from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Once the short ribs are tempered, pat them dry with a paper towel and season on all sides with freshly ground pepper. Note: If you skipped the step where we pre-salted the ribs, you will also season them generously with kosher salt at this point.
In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and brown the short ribs on all sides, about 2-3 minute per side. You’re looking for a nice, deep golden brown crust. You’ll need to work in batches as you don’t want to overcrowd the pot (this inhibits browning). Set the browned short ribs aside and discard the fat from the pot.
Lower the heat to medium and to the same dutch oven, add the diced onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are soft, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato paste, fish sauce and tomato puree to the pan and cook for another minute just until the raw tomato flavor has cooked off. Add the wine and use your spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Once the mixture has reached a simmer, add the bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Stir to combine, then nestle the browned short ribs into the mixture and add the beef broth. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to add more or less beef broth to cover the meat 2/3 of the way up.
Allow the mixture to come to a simmer over medium heat, cover with a cartouche or the lid* and transfer to the oven. Cook in the oven for ~3 hours, or until the short ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and a knife can be easily inserted + pulled out of the meat with no tension.
Remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. The bones will be falling off at this point, so you can discard any loose ones.
Use a spoon to skim off the fat from the top layer of the braising liquid then strain the sauce and discard the veggies + herbs.* Transfer the pot to the stove over medium-low heat and allow the sauce to simmer until reduced to your liking. If you like a thicker pan sauce (like me!), simmer and reduce for longer. Once reduced, taste the sauce and add kosher salt, if needed.
Serve the short ribs over creamy parmesan polenta or mashed potatoes, making sure to spoon that delicious pan sauce on top. Finish with fresh herbs.
NOTES
Fish Sauce: Something our chef instructor at culinary school taught us was the importance of including umami-forward ingredients in a braise. They add depth of flavor that you can’t quite pinpoint and transform an ordinary braise into something extra-special. Fish sauce might seem like a weird ingredient but similar to the tomato paste, it’s filled with umami. The dish will not end up tasting like fish, promise! It’ll just add a delicious depth of flavor to the dish.
Cartouche vs. Lid: I prefer using a cartouche (pronounced car-too-shh) instead of a lid for braises. It’s essentially a parchment paper lid that you place directly on top of the braise. It allows for some evaporation + reduction of the braising liquid while still keeping the braise moist during the cooking process. There are a ton of tutorials on youtube on how to easily cut a cartouche at home. I also have a video of it on my TikTok!
Pan Sauce: If you don’t want to discard the veggies when it comes time to reduce the sauce, you can just fish out the bay leaves + herbs and puree the entire sauce mixture in a high powered blender until smooth. This isn’t as refined in terms of presentation but if I’m going more rustic, I’ll do this!
If you’re feeling extra: Store the cooked braise in the fridge over night (make sure to store the short ribs submerged in the pan sauce) and eat it the next day. It will taste even better because you’re allowing extra time for the flavors to really get to know each other. Trust me, it makes a difference! Here’s what you’ll do:
After step 8, allow mixture to cool to room temperature in the same pot, then cover the dutch oven tightly with plastic wrap followed by the the lid on top. Store in the fridge overnight.
Remove the pot from the refrigerator 30 minutes before dinner. While the braise is still cold, skim off the solidified fat that’s settled on the top. It’s much easier to do this step while the mixture is cold!
Transfer the pot to the stove and bring up to temperature slowly over low heat with the lid on. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the ribs are warmed through. To test this, insert a paring knife into the center of the biggest short rib. Let it sit in there for 10 seconds, then remove the knife and hold it up against your inner wrist. If it feels warm, the inside of your ribs are warmed through!
Follow steps 10-11!
