This recipe for garlic braised short ribs with red wine is easy to make and oh-so-tasty! The braising liquid imparts the beef a rich, savory flavor as it simmers in a Dutch oven.

To create the perfect dinner, serve alongside mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and a green salad. It is a hands-off meal that will leave your family and friends begging for seconds.

This recipe of red wine braised beef short ribs is easy to prepare with the oven doing most of the work. The long, slow braising method is the best kept secret to tenderizing this tougher cut of meat. The amazing flavor magically improves overnight.

Serve them with roasted onions, glazed rainbow carrots, and truffle mashed potatoes for an unforgettable meal.

THE LONG, SLOW BRAISING METHOD:

Ahh, this is my favorite cooking method!

Braising is the process of cooking in a liquid with a low temperature, long and slow. You can braise on the stove top or in the oven.

The difference is that with the stove top the heat is from only the bottom of the pot. Stove top braising is more difficult to maintain a steady heat and is prone to sticking or scorching.

With oven braising, heat surrounds the pot top, bottom and sides for more steady heat. When braising in an oven, set the temperature at 275°f to 300°f. Your ribs will be fork-tender, flavorful and delicious.

Braising is ideal for those less expensive, not so tender cuts of meat with a lot of connective tissues. It is those tissues that make the meat tough and hard to chew.

During a long, slow braise, the tissues break down, dissolving and tenderizing the meat. As they break down they form and release gelatin, which thickens the cooking liquid.

Braising also absorbs moisture into the muscle fibers. This results in a juicy, succulent piece of meat like our red wine braised beef short ribs.

WHAT ARE THE BEST CUTS OF MEAT FOR BRAISING:

Think chuck pot roast, shanks or beef stew meat….these are the tougher cuts with a lot of fat, muscle and stringy connective tissue. They are usually the more budget-friendly and best for this method of cooking. Here are a few suggestions of meat cuts suitable for braising:

Beef Chuck Roast
Lamb Shanks
Lamb Shoulder
Beef Short Ribs
Pork Shanks
Pork Shoulder

And, if you happen to have some venison in your freezer as a gift from your deer-hunter friend? A long, slow braise will magically transform that critter into the most amazing dish!

How to Make Garlic Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine

This is an easy recipe. Braising is effortless! Buy either the bone-in or boneless cuts. Which is best? Well, boneless is more budget friendly but you cannot go wrong with either. They are both very flavorful cuts of beef. We prefer the bone-in ribs for that extra flavor the bone releases.

You will need a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid for it to make this red wine braised beef short ribs recipe.

We seared the ribs in olive oil to give them a rich brown crust. Tip: Salt will draw out a little moisture from the meat and take longer for it to brown. You will get a deeper, richer crust by not seasoning the meat before searing.

After searing the ribs we removed them from the pot, added the onions and cooked them until they began to brown. We added the carrots and cooked them until they were soft. Fresh herbs and plenty of garlic were added for more flavor.

We poured an entire bottle of good home crafted Barbera red wine into the pot and two-cups of beef broth. Next, we placed the browned short ribs back into the pot, added the sprigs of herbs, covered the pot with its lid and transferred the pot to the oven.

The pot of short ribs braised at a temperature of 275°f, two hours and fifteen minutes. You won’t believe the aroma in the kitchen!

ARE BEEF SHORT RIBS FATTY?

Yes, the short ribs have a good amount of fat but that also adds a good amount of flavor! After the short ribs finished cooking there was a film of fat floating on top. Some folks leave that film on and incorporate it into the gravy/sauce. We prefer to remove and discard it. There are a couple options to choose to remove the fat.

Transfer the short ribs to a plate. Cover them with foil to keep warm. Pour the contents of the pot through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and strain the pot juices. Discard the solids. Then set the bowl of strained juice into the refrigerator or freezer. The fat will come to the top, solidify and then it is easily removed.
Set the cooking pot with the short ribs into the refrigerator. The fat will solidify as it cools. The problem with this option is that the fat will inconveniently adhere to the ribs. It is a messy option.

We chose the first option. After the solidified fat was removed and discarded there were about two cups of flavorful juices. In the same cooking pot, we made a roux of butter and flour, poured in those pot juices and whisked the mixture into a smooth sauce. A little Worcestershire and Dijon mustard stirred in added some umami flavor.

The tender, braised ribs were put back into the pot and reheated in the sauce. We served these red wine braised short ribs with creamy mashed potatoes and spooned the sauce on top.

If you love this recipe we are pretty sure you will love our Braised Herb Lamb Shanks

Braised Herbed Lamb Shanks — Braised Herb Lamb Shanks

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Garlic Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine

Garlic Braised Beef Short Ribs have a rich, hearty flavor and they are so easy to make! Slathered in a rich, wine-based sauce. The long, low and slow cooking is the secret to these moist, succulent, and incredibly flavorful beef ribs.

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 2 30

Total Time: 3

Servings: servings

Calories: 830kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
3-½ to 4 pounds of meaty beef short ribs bone-in (about 8 ribs)
2 medium onions chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
6 garlic cloves chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 bottle 750-ml red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah
2 cups low-salt beef broth
Fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons soft butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275°F.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, set over medium heat. Pat the ribs with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Add half of the beef ribs and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining beef ribs, transferring to the plate as they brown.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and when it is hot add the onions. Cook, stirring frequently until they begin to color, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper and stir in the garlic and chopped rosemary. Pour in the wine and the broth and bring to a boil.
Transfer the browned ribs and any juices in the plate back to the pot, arranging them in a single layer. They should be at least two-thirds covered but not be submerged. Once the liquid begins to boil again, remove it from the heat, add the rosemary and thyme sprigs. Cover the pot with it’s lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, until the ribs are very tender.
Remove the braised ribs from the oven and transfer the ribs to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the remaining pot juices and vegetables into a fine-mesh strainer set over a saucepan. Press the soft vegetables with the back of a spoon to release more liquid. Discard the strained vegetables. Place the strained pot juices into the freezer for 30 minutes to allow the accumulated fat to rise to the top and solidify.

To make the Sauce:

Transfer the strained liquid from the freezer and remove the solidified fat and discard. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter and when it has melted, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the strained pan juices and whisk until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and the Dijon mustard. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Return the short ribs to the pot, turning them to coat each rib with sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes to reheat the ribs.

To Serve:

With tongs, lift the ribs out of the sauce and place on a serving plate, garnish with fresh rosemary. Pour the sauce into a pitcher or dish and serve with the ribs and mashed potatoes.

Notes

Braised beef short ribs are ideal as a main entree for a dinner party. Make them a day in advance, transfer the short ribs to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Strain the pot liquid into a dish, cool and remove the solidified fat and refrigerate. When ready to serve the short ribs, bring them to room temperature, make the sauce and add the ribs. Cover the pot and transfer to a 300°f oven for 30 minutes to reheat.