These Red Wine Braised Boneless Short Ribs and easy and delicious. Cooked low and slow, this is perfect Winter comfort food!
Happy New Year! Around here, the weeks following the new year are the coldest of the year. It’s the height of comfort food season and that’s definitely something to be happy about.
To celebrate, I picked up some beautiful boneless short ribs from the butcher and braised them low and slow with lots and lots of red wine and fresh herbs. There is just no competing with tender, wine and herb infused short ribs.
This time around, I added some mini potatoes and carrots half way through cooking, though I sometimes just use the carrots and serve these short ribs over mashed potatoes or polenta.If you are overdue for a pot of short ribs and a whole lot of comfort in a pot, I can’t recommend this dish more.
Cook’s Notes
When it comes to the wine, a dry red wine is where to start. Beyond that, chose the red that you would pick up to drink. In my case, that was a Cabernet Merlot. A Cabernet Sauvignon would be another great choice, if you enjoy that blend.
The reason short ribs are so lovely is that they are so fully marbled with fat. While that makes the meat beautifully tender, it also cooks off into the lovely gravy. So I like to get it out of the way after the dish is cooked. Here are a few ways to deal with the fat from the short ribs …
1) After taking out of the oven, remove the short ribs and vegetables to a separate bowl and let the pot sit undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. The fat will rise to the top, where you can spoon it off. Then simply return the ribs and vegetables to the gravy and reheat on the stove-top.
2) Remove the ribs and vegetables as above, then pour the gravy into a gravy separator and pour off the fat.
3) If you are making ahead, simply put the gravy in the fridge and the fat will solidify on the top, where you can scoop off and discard before reheating.
Top Tip! Tie your fresh herbs together with cooking-safe string or wrap in cheesecloth to make it easy to remove them all at the end of cooking.
Fresh herbs are lovely if you have them. If not, you can substitute with some or all dried herbs.
I prefer to use a good chicken broth, rather than beef broth, as I’m never happy with the flavour of store-bought beef broth. You can use either.
As noted above, you can add potatoes to the dish as it cooks, or skip the potatoes in the dish and serve this over potatoes or polenta instead.
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Get the Recipe: Red Wine Braised Boneless Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb. boneless short ribs, about 4
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and quite finely diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, *see notes
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, or beef broth
- 5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, or 2 tsp dried parsley
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetables:
- 8-10 mini potatoes, halved
- 1 large carrot, peeled, halved and cut into 2-inch slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a Dutch oven or large, oven-safe pot with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add short ribs and sear on all sides until golden. Remove from pot to a plate.
- Remove most of the oil from the pot. Add the diced carrots and onions and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and tomato paste to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for another minute. Add the wine to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until wine reduces by half (about 20-25 minutes) *Don't rush this step! When the wine has reduced, add the broth and the herbs to the pot and stir to combine. Return the short ribs to the pot. Cover pot with lid and cook in preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours.
- After 1 1/4 hours in the oven, remove from oven and stir in the large pieces of carrots and potatoes (listed as "Vegetables" in the Ingredients), if using. Return to the oven, covered, for another 1 1/4 hours or until meat pulls apart easily and vegetables are tender. *Make sure there's a good bit of liquid in the pot at this point, to cook the vegetables. If not, add a bit more broth, wine or both.
- Remove from oven. Remove herbs and discard. Taste sauce and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed. Remove short ribs and vegetables to a plate. Allow sauce to stand undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. The fat in the gravy should rise to the top, where you can spoon it off and discard. Return the short ribs and vegetables to the pot and re-warm on the stove-top with the gravy.
Notes
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This is in the oven right now!!! The wine reduction smelled soooo good. Unfortunately I did not have short ribs but I had a slab of country style pork ribs defrosted in the frig so I hope it works. I also added cipolline onions with the potatoes and carrots. I left out the thyme because I dislike it.
Enjoy, Bette!
Great recipe! My family loved it! I’ll have to double it next time!
So glad you all enjoyed it, Julie :) Thanks so much!
Wow !!
So i followed this to the letter and it was a ten Plus star recipe. I omitted the optional potatoes and carrot and made mashed potatoes separately with glazed baby carrots and some peas. This would also be delicious with steamed and butter savoy cabbage.
This is an outstanding recipe and the family were delighted. I have earmarked it for a repeat performance.
(((hugs))) Jennifer and Thank-you !
So glad to hear, Grace :) Thanks so much!
Cabernet Merlot??
Sure! I think whatever red wine you enjoying drinking is great in this one too, as you will be sure to enjoy the flavour :)
If I don’t have a Dutch oven…what vessel is best to use?
Hi Abigail, since a Dutch oven is really just a large, heavy pot with a lid, looks for something large and ovenproof (a casserole dish or large/deep cast iron pan) and make your own lid with aluminum foil. Make sure it’s nice and tight, like a lid, and you should be good :)
Thank you so much! That is what I will do.
I followed the recipe as written with one exception. Substituted sweet potato for the potato/carrot in both parts of the recipe (because that’s what we had on hand). Turned out delicious. FYI we use “Better Than Bullion” beef base and are happy with it.
Glad to hear, Steve! And I will try the beef one. I use BthanB chicken base all the time, but haven’t tried the beef one. Good to know it’s good. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer
At which point do I add my chicken broth? After I reduce the wine, or with the wine, when its reducing?
Hi Devon, it’s noted in Step 3. You would add it after the wine has reduced. Enjoy!
Whoops! Its cooking now, the house is starting to smell sooo good.
Ah yes, I love the smell of this cooking, too! Enjoy!
Hi
I tried this tonight and it was great! Used 2 buck chuck and served the most beautiful meal. I just wanted to say you have a great recipe and thank you so much for sharing with us all!
Have a good remainder of the night, thanks to you we all did :)
Janine
So glad to hear, Janine :) Thanks so much!
This was delicious. First time making short ribs, they were boneless and skipped putting potatoes in but had mashed. Success! Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed it, Linda :) Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer,
Recipe looks great! Have been eating a lot of potatoes lately….would Butternut Squash work as a substitute?
Mike
Hi Mark, it might, though I think there is a chance they may just disintegrate into the sauce with the long braise. Or maybe not. Not sure if I’ve used butternut squash in a braise like this. Worth a try. Let me know how it works!
A great recipe. Easy to follow and everyone loved it. A keeper!
So glad to hear, Suzanne! Thanks so much :)
I made these for the second time last night, they are amazing. I didn’t have any carrots so the only vegetable they were braised with was onions. Served with creamy mashed potatoes and perfectly steamed green beans-Wonderful, enjoyed by all! thanks Jennifer
Happy to hear, Jennifer! Thanks so much :)
Made this yesterday by following the recipe exactly and it was so delicious. Will be making it again for sure.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much :)
My butcher only had bone in short ribs & I wanted to make these today & have for guests tomorrow. I would like your advice, please. After they finish in the oven, should I remove the bone & trim if necessary? Thank you, Jennifer!
I think I would for guests Mary, just to make a neater meal :) It should be fairly easy to do.
I answered by question…. the bones fell out & I easily removed excess fat, meat very tender, it will be a tasty dinner.
Hi Jennifer