Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Now that the weather has cooled down a little bit, it seemed like the perfect time to slow cook some meats.  My typical go-to for slow cooking is pork shoulder because it's cheap, easy to cook, and can be used in so many different ways.  This time, I opted for short ribs because I wanted something decadent and special.  This was my first time ever cooking short ribs, so I took some time to look at a few different recipes online and then pulled what I liked from each of them to create this recipe below.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did/do!

Servings: 6-8
Total Time: 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

4-5 pounds of short ribs (bone in or out, I opted for bone in)
2 tbs olive oil
2-3 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups red wine - I opted for a Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups beef stock
4 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 whole bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped thyme + 2 sprigs of thyme

Instructions:

1. Pull your short ribs out of the refrigerator to reach room temperature while you complete the next steps.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
3. Chop your vegetables, herbs, and garlic
4. Season the short ribs with salt, pepper, and 1 tbs chopped thyme
5. Heat large dutch oven over medium-high heat, add oil, and brown short ribs for 2-3 minutes per side.  Make sure to get ALL the sides since browning = color.  Since this recipe is for 4-5 pounds of short ribs, you'll need to do this step in batches so you don't crowd the pan.  Remove short ribs and set aside when done.
6. Add carrots and celery and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and bay leaf and saute for 2 more minutes.
7. Add red wine and balsamic to the pot, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by 1/3.
8. Add beef broth, short ribs, thyme and rosemary sprigs.
9. Cover 1/2 way with dutch oven lid and place in the oven for 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours, until tender.  Check on the ribs and turn after 1 hour and every 30 minutes after.
10. Serve with your favorite side dish, your remaining red wine, and enjoy!

I paired my short ribs with a mushroom pilaf because they didn't have any polenta at the store.  COVID-19 is really harshing my vibes with the grocery stores being out of ingredients.  What they DID have was an assortment of mushrooms.  My favorite way to serve mushrooms for any occasion is sauteed with my garlic herb butter.  It's such an easy way to make your mushrooms tasty.  

Once your mushrooms and starch of choice are cooked, plate your starch, topping it with your mushrooms, short ribs, and then drizzle some of the pan juice over the plate.  I'm drooling just thinking about how yummy this meal is!

Here are some photos of the preparation to get you in the mood!  I love to do mise en place*, or "everything in place," before I get deep into recipes.  This way, I'm prepared to move through the next steps.  In this recipe, you can prep these ingredients while your short ribs come to room temp.

*Mise en place is the process of preparing and organizing your ingredients before beginning to cook.

Once you've chopped your veggies and herbs, it's time to move on to the meat.  Season your ribs generously with salt & pepper before you brown them.  Don't forget to get all sides of the meat!  Sprinkle thyme over them and rub in the seasonings.

Here's a picture of the meat once it's been browned - make sure you get all sides, including the short ones on the end!  Color = flavor, so you don't want to short-change yourself by skipping this step.

 Add carrots and celery, then add garlic and bay leaves once the veg has softened a little (2-3 minutes)

I used a Cabernet Sauvignon for a full-bodied wine and an aged balsamic to impart a depth of flavor.

As your short ribs cook, they might fall off the bone and look like this - that's fine!

Once you finish your ribs, plate up with your accompaniments and use the pan juices (minus the fat) to dress your plate.

Voila!

My 2 favorite things about this recipe?

1- You still have about 2 glasses of wine left in the bottle, so you can enjoy a glass (or two) while eating the short ribs

2- Everything tastes just as good the next day when you're eating your leftovers.  

When I'm spending 4 hours making a recipe, I want to enjoy it for more than 1 meal, so it's important that everything still tastes good and doesn't lose anything when it's reheated.

How do you cook your short ribs?  I'd love to hear your favorite recipe.

Comment below for suggestions.