What is braising?
Braising is a combination cooking method where you first sear the food with a dry heat and then slowly cook it for a long period of time in a wet heat, usually a braising liquid with a lid to trap in the heat. Tough cuts of meat that require long cooking times to reach a tender, pleasant texture are great candidates for braising.
MY OTHER RECIPESWhen you use the slow cooker, you are often braising stuff. If I wrote the book on slow cooking (no really I did!), why am I braising it the old fashioned way? Because it tastes different. The slow cooker is all about convenience. I love it. I use it frequently. But there’s something about braising a piece of meat traditionally that just tastes good. Maybe because it involves extra work. You know, things taste better when they are made with love.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to knock the slow cooker. I love it. But if you want to spend a little extra time (or you are late on getting something in the slow cooker and dinner is in less than 8 hours…), it’s extra delicious!
How do you make braised short ribs?
Short ribs can be braised whether they are boneless or bone-in. Season and sear the meat over a high heat. Next, immerse the short ribs either partially or fully in a flavorful liquid in an oven safe pan. Cover and cook for a long period of time (usually about two and a half hours), until the meat is tender.
In this recipe the braising liquid is simple, but flavorful. The basis is a combination of sautéed onion and garlic. Beef broth and worcestershire sauce is added. The real kicker in this recipe is one fresh sprig of rosemary. It may seem simple, but the long cooking time will infuse the rosemary flavor throughout the liquid and the meat. Just be warned, the smell in your house will make you drool!
Serving Suggestions: Braised beef short ribs are often served up with mashed potatoes. The braising liquid can easily be turned into a gravy, if desired. Other classic accompaniments are a creamy polenta, or roasted vegetables.
Don’t let those delicious juices go to waste! Remove the meat and pour the juices into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce reduces (about 15 minutes). You’ll have a delicious sauce. For a smooth sauce you’d want to strain it first.
Or make it into a gravy. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add in 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk together into a paste. Pour in strained juices and heat over medium-high heat until thickened. If your juices are straight from the oven and still piping hot this will only take a minute or two.
Watch the video below where I walk you through every step of this recipe. I’ve always got you covered with a visual in my very own cooking show. Be sure to check it out!
Classic Braised Beef Short Ribs
Classic Braised Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 6 (about 4 pounds) bone-in short ribs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Season all sides of the short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat a heavy, oven-safe pot over high heat. Add in olive oil and allow to heat briefly. Sear short ribs in olive oil, about 1 minute per side. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add in onion and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 1 minute more.
- Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add in meat. Place a rosemary sprig on top.
- Cover and transfer to preheated oven for about 2.5 hours, until meat is tender.
Notes
Don't have an oven safe pot? You can let it simmer, covered, in a regular pot on the stove for 2.5 hours.
Nutrition
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Nicole says
Absolutely Delicious!
Carley McHenry says
Hello! I have made many a short rib dinner in my life, however it has been at least 20 years since my last SR soiree,so I wanted to look at a recipe for time and temp. The basic recipe is great, I modified it a bit so here are my changes: I dredged my SR in flour to create a crust around the SR and establish those brown bits that make a base for great gravy. Used 1/2 bottle of Pinot Noir left over from last night and 1 can of Chicken Broth for my braising liquid. All of my herbs have frozen for the winter so I used 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1 Tablespoon of beef demi-glace to add to the braising liquid. I also added 3/4 cups of carrot chunks for flavor. After simmering in the oven for 2.5 hours, I removed the pot and placed it in the fridge, in order to easily remove all of that extra fat. This took about 2 hours, and I removed the sheet of beef fat that was floating on top. I then placed it on the stove to re-heat the SR and proceeded to make the gravy. Of course, it was fabulous! Nothing can beat mashed potatoes as a “nest” for your steaming rib of perfection!
Kim T. says
Best, easiest recipe for fall off the bone short ribs!
This was super easy for someone like me who can cook but has zero self confidence while doing it. This recipe made me look like I’m a pro! I did add more beef broth and after reading these reviews I will try to add some red wine too. So delicious though just the way it is.
Katie says
I made this last night and is was delicious! I used an enameled cast iron pot and used a whole diced onion, increased the beef broth to 2 cups instead of 1 and increased the worcestershire sauce to 4 TBSP and added 1 cup of dry red wine. There was no problem with the meat drying out and there was plenty of sauce leftover at the end so I strained and thickened that with a little cornstarch on the stove to create a wonderfully tasty sauce for the meat and mashed potatoes. Homemade popover rolls were the perfect compliment to this fantastic meal. True comfort food on a cold snowy night! Thank you!