Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Step 1

About 30 minutes – 1 hour before you’d like to begin cooking, pull the beef short ribs from the refrigerator & allow them to come up to room temperature. Just before cooking, use a paper towel to pat all sides of the beef short ribs as dry as possible. Season liberally with 2 teaspoons kosher salt & plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Place the flour on a large plate or in a shallow dish. Dredge the short ribs in the flour, coating each side with a light dusting of flour. Set the short ribs aside & reserve the excess flour for the braising liquid.

Step 2

Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 5-qt capacity) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot & simmering, after 2-3 minutes of heating, carefully add the dredged & seasoned short ribs. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Work in batches, as needed, to avoid overcrowding the pot. Once browned, transfer to a plate & set aside.

Step 3

Add the finely chopped mirepoix mixture from Step 1 to the same pot used to brown the short ribs, adding in an extra drizzle of olive oil as necessary. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned & fragrant, 15-20 minutes. If the veggies begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low or low.

Step 4

Add the garlic & tomato paste to the pot, stirring to coat the mirepoix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned & fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved flour from Step 1 over the veggies, allowing to brown 1-2 minutes longer. Pour the red wine into the pot, stirring constantly to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot. Add in the beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, parmesan rind (if using), & browned beef short ribs from Step Bring the mixture up to a boil & reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer.

Step 5

Cover the pot & braise for 3 – 3 ½ hours, until the short ribs are tender & falling off the bone. If desired, remove the lid & increase heat to medium-high, to thicken the braising liquid a little. Taste & season with additional kosher salt & ground black pepper as needed.

Step 6

Serve immediately. I serve short ribs over mashed potatoes, with the braising liquid over top. Garnish with fresh herbs, as desired. Enjoy!