Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs

I'll never forget the winter evening when my grandmother first taught me how to braise beef short ribs. The kitchen filled with the deep, rich aroma of red wine and herbs simmering for hours, and I realized that some of the best meals aren't about rushing—they're about patience and letting time do the work. That one pot, that gentle heat, and those ribs transforming from tough to impossibly tender taught me more about cooking than any fancy technique ever could.

I made this for my partner on our first anniversary, and watching their face light up when they tasted that first bite of fall-apart-tender meat in that silky sauce—well, that's when I knew I'd finally mastered something worth knowing. We've made it countless times since, and it never fails to feel special.

Ingredients

• Beef short ribs, bone-in (1.5 kg or 3.3 lbs): These are the stars—look for ribs with good marbling and a thick layer of meat on top. Bone-in is essential because the bones give the sauce incredible depth and body as they braise.
• Olive oil (2 tbsp): This is your searing foundation. Use a good quality oil that can handle high heat without smoking.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper: Don't skip the fresh grinding—pre-ground pepper loses its bite and you want that peppery punch against the rich meat.
• Onion, carrots, and celery (1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks): This is the flavor base, the holy trinity that builds everything delicious. Dice them roughly—they'll break down during the long braise.
• Garlic cloves, minced (4 cloves): Fresh garlic, always. Minced fine so it disperses throughout the sauce and doesn't leave chunks.
• Tomato paste (2 tbsp): This concentrated umami bomb adds color, depth, and a subtle sweetness that balances the wine and meat.
• Dry red wine (500 ml or 2 cups): Choose a wine you'd actually drink—nothing labeled cooking wine. I use a Cabernet or Côtes du Rhône. The wine becomes the soul of your sauce.
• Beef stock (500 ml or 2 cups): Good quality matters here. If possible, use homemade or a quality store-bought stock, not the salty commercial stuff.
• Bay leaves, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary (2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs rosemary): Fresh herbs are worth seeking out. They infuse the braising liquid with a sophisticated herbal undertone that dried herbs simply can't match.

Instructions

Set your oven to the gentle heat of patience:

Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F). This low temperature is crucial—it's hot enough to braise but not so hot that the meat toughens up. Think of it as a gentle hug for three hours.

Prepare your ribs like you're getting them ready for a spa day:

Pat the short ribs completely dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of browning, and browning is where flavor lives. Season them generously—and I mean generously—with salt and pepper. Don't be shy; this is the first and most important seasoning these ribs will get.

Create a crust that catches the light:

Heat your olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers and just starts to smoke. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, sear the ribs until they're deep mahogany brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Listen to that sizzle—it's the sound of flavor being born. Set the browned ribs aside on a plate.

Build your flavor foundation:

In that same pot, with all those caramelized bits still clinging to the bottom, add your diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook them over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften and the onion becomes translucent. You're building layers here, creating the base that will support everything else.

Wake up the kitchen with garlic and tomato:

Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to your softened vegetables. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until the whole pot becomes fragrant. You'll smell the garlic transform from raw to mellow and sweet—that's your signal you've done it right.

Deglaze with wine and watch the magic happen:

Pour in the red wine, and as you do, take a wooden spoon and scrape the bottom of the pot, lifting all those beautiful browned bits that are stuck there. That's liquid gold. Let the wine simmer for 5 minutes, reducing slightly and concentrating its flavors. The sharp edge of the wine will mellow as it cooks.

Reunite the ribs with their sauce:

Return the browned short ribs to the pot, nestling them down into the vegetables. Pour in the beef stock, and tuck in your bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary. The liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the ribs. Bring everything to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.

Let the oven work its slow magic:

Cover your Dutch oven with its lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. This is where patience becomes your most important ingredient. The ribs will braise for 2.5 to 3 hours. Don't peek obsessively—let them be. After about 2 hours, you might lift the lid to steal a glance and stir gently. The meat should eventually be so tender that a fork pierces it without resistance, and it pulls away from the bone like it wants to leave.

Finish with elegance:

Remove the ribs carefully and set them on a serving platter. Strain the sauce if you prefer it smooth, though I love leaving the vegetables in. Use a spoon to skim off excess fat from the surface—though honestly, a little richness is fine. Spoon that dark, glossy sauce over the ribs and serve immediately.

Save

My dad took one bite of these ribs at a family dinner and asked if I'd become a professional chef. I hadn't—I'd just learned to respect the process and trust that good ingredients and time would do what rushing never could. That moment made me understand that cooking well is really just about showing up and paying attention.

The Art of the Perfect Braise

Braising is one of those cooking techniques that seems intimidating until you realize it's actually forgiving and intuitive. The long, moist heat breaks down the tough connective tissues in beef short ribs, transforming them into something silky and luxurious. What makes braising special is that everything—the meat, the vegetables, the liquid—becomes part of one beautiful whole. The vegetables break down and thicken the sauce, the meat gives back flavor, and the wine and stock meld into something none of them could be alone.

What to Serve Alongside Your Ribs

These ribs are rich and assertive, so they need companions that either match their intensity or provide gentle contrast. Creamy mashed potatoes are the classic choice—their smoothness against the tender meat and deep sauce is comfort in a bowl. Soft polenta works beautifully too, with a slight corn sweetness. Buttered noodles catch and hold the sauce, and I've also had great success with crusty bread for soaking up every last drop. A simple green salad on the side cuts through the richness and reminds your palate what it's doing. Don't overthink this part—the ribs and sauce are the stars, and everything else is there to support them.

Making It Your Own

Once you understand the fundamentals of this braise, you can play with it thoughtfully. Some cooks add a splash of balsamic vinegar for depth, others a tablespoon of soy sauce for extra umami. I've experimented with different red wines depending on what I'm making for—a Burgundy gives an earthier note than a Cabernet. If you're cooking for someone who can't have alcohol, replace the wine with more beef stock and add an extra tablespoon of tomato paste for that depth the wine would have provided. The beauty of braising is that it's a method, not a rigid prescription.

• For an alcohol-free version, use an extra 500 ml of beef stock and a splash of red wine vinegar at the end.
• If you want a smoother sauce, after removing the ribs, strain everything through a fine mesh sieve and reduce it on the stovetop for a few minutes until silky.
• The ribs taste even better the next day—make them ahead and reheat gently in the oven, which also makes the sauce less fatty as the fat hardens on top overnight.

Save

Every time you make these ribs, you're participating in a tradition as old as cooking itself—using heat and time to transform humble ingredients into something memorable. That's worth celebrating.

Recipe Questions & Answers

→ How long should the beef ribs be braised?

Braise the beef ribs for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat becomes fork-tender and easily pulls from the bone.

→ Can I substitute the red wine in the dish?

Yes, you can replace the red wine with additional beef stock for an alcohol-free variation without compromising flavor depth.

→ What herbs enhance the flavor of this dish?

Fresh thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves are used to infuse the braising liquid with aromatic and earthy notes.

→ What is the best way to serve the braised ribs?

Serve over creamy mashed potatoes, polenta, or buttered noodles to absorb the rich braising sauce.

→ Should the sauce be strained before serving?

Straining the sauce is optional and can result in a smoother consistency; you may also reduce it further on the stovetop if desired.

→ What equipment is recommended to cook this dish?

Use a heavy Dutch oven or an oven-safe pot to sear and braise the ribs evenly and retain moisture.