Braised Short Ribs

I don’t know about you, but I’m done with winter. D.O.N.E. Nothing would make me happier than to say buh-bye to the cold, so I decided to send winter out with a bang by making the most wintery meal I could possibly think of: braised short ribs. Here’s hoping it does the trick (Hello, spring)!

Billy hasn’t stopped talking about these short ribs since I made them for the first time on a whim for New Year’s Eve. It has since been inducted (by Billy) into my recipe hall of fame. He’s a real meat and potatoes connoisseur, so his vote goes a long way.

It’s actually a very simple, humble little recipe. You’ll need a large, oven-proof dish like this cast-iron Le Creuset pot and about forty-five minutes or so to prep. The magic happens when you put it in the oven—it will braise for 3 hours, which will give you time to live your life, basking in the intoxicating aroma wafting from your kitchen.

Braised Short Ribs

bone-in short ribs, one pound per person (if not pre-cut, ask your butcher to cut them into 3 inch pieces)
3 large carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
olive oil
1 bottle of red wine
1+ cup(s) beef broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsps flour
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
salt + pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large oven-proof pot, sear the short ribs on high heat in a tbsp or so of olive oil, until golden brown. I recommend working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot (this will produce the best sear). Set aside.

Sauté the mirepoix (carrots, onion, and celery) in the same pot, cooking them in the fat rendered from the short ribs. About 10 minutes, or until soft. Add salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomato paste. Add the flour and mix well to coat.

Place the seared short ribs back into the pot. Pour in a whole bottle of red wine, and then add enough beef broth to barely cover the short ribs in liquid.

Add the rosemary and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in the oven for 3 hours.

I like to go in there once or twice to turn the short ribs with a pair of tongs, just to make sure they’re not burning on one side.

After 3 hours, remove the pot from the oven and pull out the meat. It will literally fall off the bone. Set aside. Remove the bones from the pot. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve (like this chinois) and discard the mirepoix.

Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta (my personal favorite, although Billy won’t touch it with a ten foot pole, so I’m stuck with potatoes). I like to make a simple arugula salad—just arugula with lots of lemon juice and a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. It will brighten up the meal.

I’m so excited for you to try this recipe! Make it this weekend and let me know what you think. Hopefully we’ll get to say goodbye to winter very soon!

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