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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PatH says
I make this a lot and add 2 cups red wine that has been flamed and reduced from one bottle. I add at least 3 cups beef broth and herbs, garlic, and shallots and carrot. Leave overnight. remove fat , strain and again reduce liquid. I serve with a celery root puree. And oh, short ribs with the bone are so much better than bone less. Boneless are really chuck beef closer to the shoulder. delish!!….don’t forget to deeply brown first!
L says
I always get scared off of recipes which say I have to use a heavy pot, because my Dutch oven is an old Revereware (stainless steel) so not heavy at all, but it is oven-proof. I don’t want to buy one of those nice, heavy cast iron/enameled Dutch ovens, even though I’m sure they are wonderful, because they weigh too much for me to deal with. So I’m wondering if I should attempt this recipe, or will it really only work out well in a heavy pot? Thank you.
Rachel Farnsworth says
If your pot is oven safe is should work, but that’s something you’ll need to be sure of yourself. Oftentimes they are marked.
Destiny says
Im trying this for the first time tonight. I did make a few adjustments. I added carrots and diced red potatoes to the dish. So i added more broth. I am cooking in dutch oven at 310 and will check for doneness periodically. I also used my oxtail seasoning on the meat when i seared. Great combo with Worcester sauce so i figured i would give it a try. Wish me luck lol. Hoping for a great turn out
Julia B. says
Could I add red wine to the mixture?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes, you can add 1 cup of red wine.
Maureen says
This will be my first time cooking short ribs. Can I do this in my crock pot? I don’t have an oven safe pan. How long should I cook it in a crock pot
Rachel Farnsworth says
https://thestayathomechef.com/slow-cooker-beef-short-ribs/
Patti says
You can simmer on stove top for 2.5 hrs – see above – NOTES:
Cathy Holyoke says
I only had two pounds of bone in short ribs, so I made some adjustments to the recipe. I browned the ribs, and then used a whole, smaller onion and two cloves of garlic, along with the Worchestshire sauce and rosemary. I used 1 1/2 cups of beef stock and added a cut up carrot.
I think the temperature at 350F for two and half hours is too high, or the time is too long. When I checked after 90 minutes, the ribs were cooked and there was barely any fluid left in the braiser. The thickest part of the meat was 177F. If I do this again, I’ll turn the temp down to about 275-300F and check again after 90 minutes.
J says
The internal temp of the meat is irrelevant in longer braises. 3 to 4 hours is plenty of time, and I usually go 325 degrees for 3.5 to 4.5 max. When braising, I usually do a layer of plastic wrap…then foil, otherwise the liquids tend to dissapate and evaporate.
Should never be afraid to check at the half way point on anything thats slow and low. You risk scalding the bottom of the pan when it goes dry and the braising process pretty much stops when the liquid has evaporated. The oven gods can be cruel after a few hours.
Al says
If I’m using boneless short ribs, should I reduce cooking time and if so, by how much?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Check on them about 30 minutes sooner.
Al says
Thanks Rachel. As I don’t have a good dish for the oven, I braised them on the stove top. I also substituted 2 cups of chicken broth for the wine. Amazing dish, extremely flavorful and tender, Served with mashed potatoes and pickled beets. Great recipe!!!
David H Carter says
Decided to make this dish on a wet and cold Oregon coast day and she was right when she called it comfort food. Very satisfying with fall off the bone meat from a clean uncomplicated recipe.
Jackie says
I made this recipe several times now. The first time was a total flop-all of my liquid evaporated in under one hour and my meat was overcooked and tough. I think the problem was that I made it with beef stock. Second time I made it, I added two cups of better than buillon broth, and still had to add more halfway through cooking. The last few times I made it, I used boneess beef ribs instead, and put in 3 cups of broth. My fiance snd I both love short ribs, but I’m always unhappy with the cost and how little it yields. Came out perfect! So tender and deliscious! Just as good if not better than short ribs! This has become a favorite in our house!
Lita0719 says
Today I made this Classic Braised Beef Short Ribs, and it was fantastic! Easy to make and very tasty. Unfortunately I cooked it a bit longer than what the recipe calls for, even so, it was still very good. Next time I will add more liquid as other reviewers seem to have done, and check at the 2.5 hours mark.
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!