Slow-Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine
Fall-apart tender beef in a wine sauce so rich it should be illegal. This is a weekend project that makes the whole house smell incredible.
Main Dish · Prep 20 min · Cook 180 min · Serves 4 · Medium · By Tina · Published
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg bone-in short ribs, about 6 pieces
- 500 ml red wine, full-bodied, like Cabernet
- 500 ml beef stock
- 2 large onion, diced
- 3 carrots, chunked
- 3 stalks celery, chunked
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, generous
This is the recipe I make when I want to feel like a proper cook. Not because it is hard — it is not — but because after 3 hours in the oven, you get meat so tender it falls apart when you look at it, in a sauce that tastes like you spent all day in a French kitchen.
The process is simple: sear, build aromatics, deglaze with wine, and forget about it for a few hours. The oven does all the work. You just have to be patient, which is the hardest part.
Use a wine you would actually drink. Not your best bottle, but not the cheapest one either. The sauce concentrates everything, so bad wine makes bad sauce.
Pro Tips
- Sear the ribs HARD. You want a deep brown crust on all sides. This takes longer than you think — about 3 minutes per side.
- Do not skip the tomato paste. Cook it for a minute in the pot before adding wine. It adds umami and body.
- The sauce should reduce by about half after braising. If it is too thin, strain and simmer on the stove.
- Make this a day ahead. It is even better reheated.
Serving
Serve over creamy polenta or buttery mashed potatoes. You need something to soak up that sauce. A bold red wine to drink — same grape as what you cooked with.
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