Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs in rich savoury red wine sauce. A heartwarming dish that will keep everyone satisfied for a very long time!
A big warm hug in a bowl
Cooler weather means it’s time to pull out the heavy cast iron kitchenware and do some slow cooking. Our first slow-cooked meal for this year is this gorgeous Beef Short Ribs in red wine sauce.
Not to worry, if you don’t have access to a Dutch oven because you’ll still be able to make this dish in a large heavy-based saucepan, one that has a heavy lid.
Beef short ribs are affordable, so this is a budget-friendly and delicious meal that’ll feed the whole family. They take a few hours to cook, but it’s worth the wait. Beef short ribs have nice marbling, so when they’re done we’re left with rich, tender, melt-in-the-mouth beef.
We start by searing and browning the ribs, then we slow cook them with a flavourful broth comprising beef stock, red wine, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary.
For the sauce, we remove the solids and then reduce the broth that was cooked with the short ribs. This results in an intensely rich and flavourful sauce, which complements the beef short ribs perfectly. We don’t need any special sides because simple steamed veggies or mashed potatoes become immediately exciting once we pour the sauce on top.
Hubby did a silly happy dance when he came home from work and saw the pile of beef ribs on the kitchen bench. Even after an exhausting day, he was more than happy to take over babysitting duties! I don’t make beef meals often, so whenever I do, it’s a special occasion for him.
Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine
What are Beef Short Ribs?
Beef short ribs are taken from the chuck and rib area. They’re usually sold individually and look like thick rectangular slabs of meat. However, some places sell the ribs attached to each other. We can separate these at home, just cut between the bones.
Why use Beef Short Ribs?
Beef Short Ribs are quite fatty and well-marbled. Once they’re slow-cooked, they’ll be beautifully rich and tender. Beef Short Ribs are also affordable and relatively cheap compared to other cuts.
Slow cooking is great because I can prepare everything in advance. This means I’m able to relax and put my feet up…for a few hours whilst waiting for it to be done.
Actually, no, who am I kidding? I ran after my toddler, who was trying to climb on EVERYTHING. Then I had to chase my kitties out of the kitchen, which is much harder than it sounds. I usually have to do 4 or 5 laps around my kitchen before they trot out. Sometimes I feel like I have 3 toddlers!
More cozy and heartwarming dishes to try:
Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Meatballs in Tomato Herb Sauce
Quick Vietnamese-inspired Pho
Coq au Vin (French-inspired stew)
Ingredients for Braised Beef Short Ribs
Beef short ribs are taken from the chuck and rib area. They’re usually sold individually and look like thick rectangular slabs of meat. However, some places sell the ribs attached to each other. We can separate these at home, just cut between the bones.
Dry red wine includes Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Shiraz. I recommend using non-expensive wine that you enjoy drinking, as wine has a strong flavour. My dishes with wine always turn out better for me when I stick to this tip!
Salt-reduced or low-sodium beef stock – I prefer using salt-reduced beef stock because I have more control over the sodium level in my cooking. It’s always better to be under-seasoned than over-seasoned as it’s easier to fix.
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How to make Braised Beef Short Ribs
Step-by-step guide with photos
Season the beef ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium heat if using a large casserole Dutch oven or cast iron. If using a heavy-based large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat. Sear the ribs in batches of 3 or 4 until they’re brown on the outside. They don’t need to be cooked completely at this stage. Transfer the ribs onto a large plate and set aside for later.
There should be approximately 1 to 2 tbsp of oil/fat left in the Dutch oven after searing the beef. If there’s too much fat remaining, remove some using paper towels and tongs. Otherwise, the sauce will end up being too oily.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat, then add in the garlic and onions, and stir regularly for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in celery and carrots, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and beef stock, then bring it to a boil.
Place in the rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, then place in the beef short ribs. Do your best to submerge them in the broth. Bring the broth back to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and slow cook for 2 to 2.5 hours or until the beef is tender (test with two forks).
Carefully remove all the ribs from the broth and transfer them onto a plate and cover them with foil. Use a colander or strainer to remove and discard the solids from the broth.
Transfer the broth back into the Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Cook the broth until it reduces approximately to half. The broth/sauce isn’t thick but will thicken slightly when it cools. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to your liking if needed. Pour the sauce over the ribs before serving.
Leftovers – Allow the Beef Short Ribs to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine
Video
Ingredients
- 2 kg beef short ribs (NOTE 1)
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves (chopped into halves)
- 1 large onion (roughly diced)
- 2 large celery sticks (roughly diced)
- 2 large carrots (peeled and roughly diced)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 2 cup dry red wine (NOTE 2)
- 2 cup salt-reduced beef stock (NOTE 3)
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 rosemary sprig
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Season the beef ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium heat if using a large casserole Dutch oven or cast iron. If using a heavy-based large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat. Sear the ribs in batches of 3 or 4 until they're brown on the outside. They don't need to be cooked completely at this stage. Transfer the ribs onto a large plate and set aside for later.
- There should be approximately 1 to 2 tbsp of oil/fat left in the Dutch oven after searing the beef. If there's too much fat remaining, remove some using paper towels and tongs. Otherwise, the sauce will end up being too oily.Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat, then add in the garlic and onions, and stir regularly for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in celery and carrots, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and beef stock, then bring it to a boil.
- Place in the rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, then place in the beef short ribs. Do your best to submerge them in the broth. Bring the broth back to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and slow cook for 2 to 2.5 hours or until the beef is tender (test with two forks).
- Carefully remove all the ribs from the broth and transfer them onto a plate and cover them with foil. Use a colander or strainer to remove and discard the solids from the broth. Transfer the broth back into the Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Cook the broth until it reduces approximately to half. The broth/sauce isn't thick but will thicken slightly when it cools. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to your liking if needed. Pour the sauce over the ribs before serving.
