Ready for some fall-off-the-bone yumminess?
This dish is so comforting and you can slow-cook it in the oven or in your slow-cooker. Serve with some delicious mashed potatoes and maple glazed carrots! Perfect for a weeknight meal, but stunning enough for a dinner party!
How To Make Braised Beef Short Ribs
Beef short ribs are about as delicious as they come. Learn more about this incredible cut of beef here.
All you really need for this dish is a little time. They take a couple of hours to braise in the oven, but the preparation is not difficult or time-consuming.
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The Ingredients You Will Need
Obviously, the most important ingredients for this dish are the ribs. Ask your butcher to cut you 6 to 8 beef short ribs. He/she will need to cut the “English-style” in pieces that are about 2″x2″ or 2″x3″.
In addition to the ribs, here are the other items you will need:
Flour – All-purpose
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Pancetta – Cubed (can substitute bacon)
Onion – Chopped
Garlic – Minced
Red pepper flakes – For a nice depth of flavor
Carrots – Chopped
Tomato paste – To slightly thicken the sauce
Sugar – Enhances the flavor profile
Red wine – Dry
Plum tomatoes – Canned is just fine
Beef stock – Have extra in case you need to thin the sauce
Balsamic vinegar – Aged is wonderful
Herbs – Bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano
EXPERT TIP: Dusting the ribs in flour and then searing them helps to lock in the flavor and gives them a nice crust.
Tips for the Best Braised Beef Short Ribs
Timing – These ribs are best right out of the oven. Be sure to allow about 30 minutes to prep and then sear the meat. And then allow about 2 hours for braising in the oven.
Keep an Eye on the Ribs – Depending on the size of the ribs, they make take less than 2 hours to become fully cooked and fork tender. After about 1½ hours, check them. Remove the lid and use a fork to test the tenderness. If the meat easily pulls away from the bone, they are ready. If not, let them go until they easily pull away from the bone.
Skim the Fat – Beef short ribs are highly marbled which means they will be incredibly flavorful and tender, but they will also render a decent amount of fat. The fat will stay on the top of the sauce. Use a large spoon to skim the fat off the surface and then dispose of it safely.
How To Serve
This is truly one of the ‘special feeling’ kinds of dishes. It’s perfect for a wonderful Sunday evening dinner with the family, but it’s also elegant enough for an amazing dinner party.
We highly recommend serving this with perfect mashed potatoes or creamy polenta. The sauce is an amazing gravy that is begging to be poured over everything!
You can serve guests directly from the pot, or carefully remove the ribs and place them on a platter with the sauce served on the side. Or, you can plate the dish for each guest.
Other Slow-Cooked Rib Recipes
Ribs, when cooked right, are extremely flavorful and fall-off-the-bone delicious. Here are a few of our favorites:
Instant Pot Italian Short Ribs
Wagyu Chuck Short Ribs
Incredible Slow-Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Country-Style Pork Ribs
Asian Braised Short Ribs
In the meantime, aren’t you in the mood to make these epic ribs?
Ready to make the braised short ribs in town? Go for it! This is one recipe you will want to make again and again.
And when you make them, be sure to take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Equipment
- 1 6 to 7-liter Dutch oven or large oven-ready pot with a lid
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 beef short ribs cut English style, into 2x2" or 2x3" pieces
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup pancetta chopped
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup red wine dry
- 1 14.5 oz can plum tomatoes diced, with juice
- 1 cup beef stock
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary fresh
- 2 sprigs thyme fresh
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Liberally salt and pepper the ribs all over.
- Add the flour to a platter or plate.
- Turn the ribs in flour, shaking off any excess.
- In a Dutch oven (or large pot), over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches, cook the ribs, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and set aside. Drain off most of the oil/grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Add the pancetta to the pan and saute until just beginning to crisp, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onions and carrots and sauté until beginning to soften, abut 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and sugar and cook, stirring until well blended, about 1 minute.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the tomatoes, stock, and vinegar, and return to a boil. Stir in the oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Add back in the ribs and place the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and thyme sprigs on top.
- Cover and place in oven. Cook for about 2 hours.
- When the ribs are done (they will be super tender), use a large, shallow spoon, or ladle to skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the liquid.
- Season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Transfer the ribs to warmed plates, and then spoon the juices and veggies over and around them.
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in August 2014 but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in September 2022!
Diane says
These were just fabulous! Fall off the bone tender. Cooking time was perfect. I used a half of a bottle of Zinfandel since that works well with beef usually. So a little more than a cup. Thought it would be a little heavy but wasn’t at all. Of course I had to drink the other half quickly. Put it in my big Dutch oven just like yours (except mine is red) and what a feast with mashed potatoes a little more than two hours later. The sauce was excellent on the perfect mashed potatoes as well. In fact,I probably could’ve drank that at well. Just super delish and the flavor was spot on. This was another recipe that made me look like a way better cook than I really am. My sister loved watching the video with me yesterday. Keep up the good work my friends! Oh….. I forgot to tell you, the tomato house that I was working on like yours will maybe be reality after all since all of my current landscaping is gone from the hurricane. Wish me luck!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Diane! You are killing it with all of these amazing dishes! Sounds absolutely heavenly!! We are so so happy you made the short ribs! And that is so exciting about your future tomato house! Keep us posted on that! You will LOVE it! Thanks again for sharing and as always, thank you so so much for the GREAT review! xoxo
Kris Longwell says
These short ribs are so tender and incredibly delicious!
Gregory D Scott says
What is the normal serving size for the Franklin style ribs? I’ve been told that only one rib is correct for regular.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Gregory, 1 to 2 ribs per serving. They are pretty meaty! Let us know if you make them and how they turn out! Best, Kris & Wesley
Minx says
Kris, in the top part of the recipe, you say “Cook time 20 hours” (which seems really long), and in the recipe itself you say 2 hours. I’m pretty sure you mean 2 hours, but could you clarify? This seems like a recipe I can actually handle.
Thanks.
Minx
krislongwell says
2 hours! Thank you, Minx…I made the correction on the recipe! These are so amazingly delicious!