Easy Short Ribs Recipe

Steps

1. 1Cut vegetables and measure out your ingredients before you begin. Once you start cooking, there isn’t much downtime to prep other ingredients.
2. 2If making in the oven, preheat your oven to 275°F and adjust your baking racks so your Dutch oven will fit.
3. 3Generously salt and pepper short ribs on all sides.
4. 4In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. In batches, if necessary, deeply brown ribs on all sides. This may take 15 minutes or more.
5. 5Transfer ribs to a plate and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat (it doesn’t need to be precise).
6. 6Turn heat down to medium and return pan to heat. Add garlic halves, cut-side down, and cook until deeply golden but not burned (watch garlic closely!), 1 to 2 minutes.
7. 7Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until the very edges of the onions are starting to turn translucent.
8. 8Add tomato paste and stir to coat the veggies. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the tomato paste begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pot.
9. 9Pour in red wine and bring to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes.
10. 10Add the beef broth and thyme, and stir.
11. 11Return the ribs to the pot, bone-side up, and press them down so they are completely submerged. If any meat is sticking up out of the liquid (bone is fine), add just enough broth to cover.
12. 12Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat.
13. 13If making in the oven, cover pot and transfer it to the oven. If making on the stove, reduce heat so liquid is just barely at a simmer before covering the pot.
14. 14Cook (in the oven or on stovetop) for 3½ to 4 hours, checking occasionally to make sure meat is completely submerged and braising liquid is just barely simmering. Short ribs are done when meat is very tender and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
15. 15If serving immediately, skim fat off the top and skip to step 18. If making in advance, refrigerate overnight or until ready to serve.
16. 16About 40 minutes before you are ready to eat, take ribs out of the refrigerator and use a large metal spoon to scrape solid fat off as best you can. Don’t worry if you can’t get every single bit.
17. 17Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer. If necessary, move meat around so all the meaty bits are submerged. Once at a simmer, cover and cook until meat is heated through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
18. 18Set water on the stove to boil for egg noodles or begin prepping your mashed potatoes.
19. 19Transfer meat to a plate and top with foil to keep warm. Remove and discard the majority of the vegetables with a slotted spoon. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or measuring cup.
20. 20Rinse out the pot and return the strained liquid to the pot. Simmer while your pasta/potatoes cook to reduce the liquid slightly.
21. 21Return meat to the pot for the last minute or two of cooking time to reheat.
22. 22Serve ribs over egg noodles or mashed potatoes and spoon sauce over the top. Enjoy!