Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine

Fall-off-the-bone braised beef short ribs in glossy red wine sauce served with olive oil mashed potatoes

Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine

Fall-off-the-bone braised beef short ribs, slow-cooked in a Dutch oven with a whole bottle of red wine, garlic, rosemary and thyme until the meat is silky and the sauce is dark and glossy.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Servings

Calories 648kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Equipment

large oven proof pot like a dutch oven

Ingredients

3.3 lb bone-in beef short ribs (1.5 kg), English cut, thick and meaty
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1 garlic head cloves separated and peeled
1 onion chopped
2 carrots medium, chopped
2 celery ribs chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bottle dry red wine (750 ml), such as Agiorgitiko, Xinomavro or Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup broth beef, or vegetable
2 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chili flakes to taste, plus more for serving

Instructions

Heat the oven to 160°C / 320°F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the short ribs dry and season all over with one teaspoon of sea salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Sear on all sides until deeply browned, working in batches of 6 to 8 minutes so the pot isn't crowded. Transfer each batch to a large plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and peeled garlic cloves and cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it darkens and caramelizes, 2 to 3 minutes.
Return the short ribs to the pot. Add the red wine, broth, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and chili flakes. Arrange the ribs meat-side down so they are fully submerged. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook for 3 hours. Check the ribs — the meat should be tender and giving, but not yet falling off the bone.
Uncover and cook for a further 30 minutes to deepen the colour and reduce the sauce.
Discard the herb stems and bay leaf. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve with an extra pinch of chili flakes. See notes to thicken the sauce further.

Notes

To thicken the sauce: carefully move the short ribs to a platter and cover with foil. Using oven gloves, set the pot on the stove over medium heat and simmer to reduce to your desired thickness. For a thicker sauce, put about a third of a cup of the cooking liquid in a small bowl, sprinkle over a teaspoon of flour, and whisk until completely dissolved. Stir back into the pot and simmer until it coats the back of a spoon.
Buy the thickest, meatiest ribs available. They shrink considerably as the fat renders.
Cook with a wine you'd happily drink. It needn't be expensive, but three hours of reduction concentrates whatever is in the bottle.
Make ahead: cook up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate the ribs in their sauce. Lift off the set fat before reheating, covered, at 160°C / 320°F for 30 to 40 minutes.
Without wine: substitute an equal amount of beef broth plus 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or balsamic.

The nutritional analysis is only an estimate based on available ingredients and the recipe’s preparation.

Nutrition