Juicy Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe in Savory Red Wine Sauce

Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with these melt-in-your-mouth beef short ribs, slow-cooked to perfection in a rich red wine sauce. This restaurant-quality dish will impress even the most discerning palates!

Elevate your dining experience with our Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe. This culinary masterpiece features fork-tender meat glazed in a luxurious, deeply wine-flavored sauce. The secret lies in the reduced port wine, which enhances the sauce’s complexity while balancing the dry red wine’s tannic notes. Serve these sumptuous ribs with creamy mashed potatoes, silky polenta, or crusty artisan bread for a truly memorable meal. For a gourmet twist, remove the bones and shred the beef into the finished sauce to create an irresistible topping for fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta.

Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 5 pounds (2.3kg) beef short ribs (see note)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable or other neutral oil
• 2 celery ribs (about 3 1/2 ounces; 100g each), cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large carrots (about 8 ounces; 225g each), cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 large (14-ounce; 400g) yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 5 medium cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) tomato paste
• 1 (750ml) bottle dry red wine
• 1 quart (940ml) good-quality brown beef stock, brown chicken stock, white chicken stock, or store-bought chicken stock (see note)
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin, such as Knox (2 1/2 teaspoons; 10g), only if using store-bought stock
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (750ml) bottle ruby port wine
• Slurry made from 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, brown the short ribs on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the Dutch oven. Return to the heat and add celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute longer, lowering heat if needed to prevent burning.
3. Pour in the dry red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pot. Bring to a simmer. Add stock; if using store-bought stock, bloom the gelatin in it first by sprinkling it over the stock in a large bowl, then add to the Dutch oven.
4. Return the short ribs to the pot along with any accumulated juices, nestling them into the braising liquid. Add thyme and bay leaves, cover partially, then transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, 2 to 3 hours.
5. While the ribs are braising, prepare the port reduction. In a large saucepan, bring port to a very gentle simmer, regulating heat to maintain that simmer. Cook, uncovered, until syrupy, about 1 hour; you should end up with about 1/2 cup (120ml) of reduction. Set aside.
6. Once the ribs are tender, carefully remove them from the pot and transfer to a clean platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.
7. Skim excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible.
8. Rinse out the Dutch oven, then return the strained braising liquid to it. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce until you have about 2 cups of liquid, about 1 hour. Skim any foam that accumulates on the surface. Stir in the port wine reduction.
9. The sauce should now coat the back of a spoon and leave a trail when you drag your finger through it. If it’s still too thin, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.
10. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Return the short ribs to the Dutch oven, spooning the luscious sauce all over and around them to glaze and rewarm. Serve and enjoy your masterpiece!

Notes

For this recipe, you can use either English-cut or flanken-cut short ribs. English-cut ribs have one rib bone running along the length of each portion, while flanken-cut ribs are sliced across the ribs, resulting in cross-sections of several rib bones. If opting for English-cut, look for pieces about 4 inches in length. For flanken-cut, ensure each slab is about two inches thick. You can divide flanken-cut ribs between the bones for more manageable pieces. In all cases, select well-marbled short ribs with a generous meaty portion (at least 1 1/2 inches of meat above the bones).

A high-quality homemade stock will set like jelly when refrigerated; this natural gelatin helps give the sauce its luxurious consistency. If you’re using store-bought stock, add 1 packet of unflavored gelatin as per the recipe instructions to achieve a similar effect.

Make-Ahead and Storage

These delectable braised beef short ribs can be refrigerated in their finished sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Gently reheat before serving to preserve their tender texture and rich flavors.