Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 3 lb short ribs (seasoned generously with salt and pepper)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tbsp neutral flavored oil (for searing)
• 0.5 large onion (roughly chopped)
• 3 celery stalks (roughly chopped)
• 3 medium carrots (roughly chopped)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.5 bottle red wine (such as Merlot)
• 3 cup beef broth (2-4 cups, enough to cover)
• 1 head garlic (halved)
• 1 bundle thyme & rosemary
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp butter
• chives (for garnish (razzle dazzle))

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. 2

   Season the short ribs generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with neutral flavored oil. Sear the short ribs until each side has a nice deep color. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot. Once seared, remove the short ribs and set aside.

4. 4

   In the same Dutch oven, add the chopped celery, carrots, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables become slightly translucent.

5. 5

   Add the tomato paste to the vegetables and cook until it is lightly toasted and fragrant.

6. 6

   Pour in the red wine, bring to a boil, and allow it to reduce slightly.

7. 7

   Add the short ribs back into the pot along with the halved head of garlic, the bundle of herbs (thyme and rosemary), and the bay leaves.

8. 8

   Pour in enough beef broth to cover the short ribs. Bring the liquid to a boil.

9. 9

   Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise for 2 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone and fork tender.

10. 10

    Remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Strain the vegetables and herbs out of the braising liquid and discard them.

11. 11

    Bring the strained braising liquid back to a boil on the stove. Allow it to reduce and thicken into a sauce (reducing by about half).

12. 12

    Turn off the heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter to finish the sauce.

13. 13

    Serve the short ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes (optionally using the braised garlic mashed into the potatoes). Pour a generous serving of the reduced sauce over the top and garnish with fresh chives.

Notes

Alternative cooking methods: If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can simmer on the stove for 2.5 hours, pressure cook on high for 1 hour, or use a slow cooker for 8 hours. The author suggests using the braised garlic from the pot to flavor your mashed potatoes.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• braised
• short ribs
• beef
• comfort food
• date night