Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

These Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are seriously show-stopping comfort food! Beef short ribs slowly simmer in a red wine sauce infused with garlic & fresh herbs until they are completely fall-apart tender. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes, risotto, pasta, or polenta for a boldly flavored & super comforting meal!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 English-cut beef short ribs 2” thick (about 3 pounds)
• Kosher salt & ground black pepper, for seasoning
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large carrots, peeled & diced
• 2 ribs celery, finely diced
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled & finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 cups dry red wine 
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 10–12 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Prep the short ribs: about 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. 
2. Brown the beef short ribs: 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 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.  
3. Brown the mirepoix: add the finely chopped mirepoix (veggies) mixture 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. 
4. Build the braise: 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 (deglaze). Add in the beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, & browned beef short ribs from step 2. Bring the mixture up to a boil & reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. 
5. Braise the short ribs: 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.
6. Serve immediately. I serve short ribs over mashed potatoes, with the braising liquid over top. Garnish with fresh herbs, as desired. Bon Appetite. Eating Better Together.

Bon Appetite. Eating Better Together.