Braised Short Ribs, Prepared Ahead For Easy Entertaining
Beef short ribs, simmered slowly in a red wine sauce, are perfect for a dinner party. Prepare the day ahead, then warm in the oven while you visit with guests. Serve the fork tender ribs over mashed potatoes, top with sauce and add a green vegetable such as green beans almandine which can all be prepped ahead of time.
My house is decorated for the holidays and there is nothing I like better than having conversations over delicious food shared with good friends. When I’m planning a dinner, I want a simple meal where I can do most of the cooking ahead of time and then enjoy my guests instead of being in the kitchen. When serving 8 or more guests, I want an easy to plate, fuss free meal such as meltingly tender braised beef short ribs. Not only are they easy to prepare, their flavor actually gets better when cooked the day before.
Braising tenderizes meat by slowly simmering it in a heavy covered pot such as a Dutch Oven in wet heat and is a perfect way to cook short ribs. First, you brown the ribs then cook them in a flavorful braising liquid until they’re tender but still have body to them. The ribs are then refrigerated in an airtight container. The braising liquid is strained, the vegetables discarded and the liquid is also refrigerated in a wide, shallow container. The next day the solidified fat is discarded and the braising liquid is thickened. The ribs and sauce are placed in a Dutch Oven in a 200 degree oven for an hour or until ready to serve.
Braised Short Ribs Of Beef
Serves 8 – 10, adjust the recipe accordingly.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
- 2 bone in short ribs per person (depending on size) trimmed of excess fat* See note below
- salt and pepper (use salt sparingly)
- olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pot
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 small stalks celery, chopped
- 3 small carrots, peeled, chopped
- 4 – 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 – 3 Tbsp. flour plus an additional 2 Tbsp. for sauce (I like to use Wondra)
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. more or less, Worcestershire sauce, optional
- 1 Tbsp. more or less, soy sauce. optional
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme and parsley
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 bottle red wine (I used a Pinot Noir)
- 6 – 8 c. beef stock (low sodium preferable)
- 1 c. mushroom broth (Optional – Made by soaking several pieces of dried porcini mushrooms in a cup of boiling water, then strained through a coffee filter). Beef broth can be substituted.
- 2 Tbsp. butter for the sauce
Season the short ribs on both sides. Heat enough oil to just cover the bottom of a Dutch oven or an ovenproof pot with a lid. Working in batches, if necessary, sear the ribs on all sides until golden brown then set the ribs aside on a plate and discard half of the rendered fat.
Add the vegetables and sauté until soft and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle 2 to 3 Tbsp.. flour over the vegetables, stir well, then add the tomato paste, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Cook, stirring until tomato paste darkens. Add the wine, scraping up all the brown bits and cook until reduced by half. Add the fresh herbs, bay leaves, beef stock and mushroom broth, if using, and stir well then taste the broth for seasoning. Return the ribs to the pot, bone side up, with any accumulated juices. The liquid should almost cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven. Braise for approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until very tender. Check once or twice while cooking and if the liquid has cooked down, add additional broth or water.
When the ribs are tender remove the pot from the oven. Gently set the ribs on a plate to rest and cover to keep warm. Using a sieve, strain the broth into a gravy separator. Discard the vegetables and herbs.
If you would like to prepare the short ribs a day ahead, you can stop at this point. Refrigerate the ribs in an airtight container. Strain the braising liquid, discard the vegetables and herbs and refrigerate the broth in a wide, shallow container. The next day, remove the solidified fat from the broth. Bring the sauce and short ribs to room temperature. Then proceed with the recipe below.
Note for preparing the day before
The sauce can be thicken either by cooking it for about 10-15 minutes until it’s the consistency of a thin gravy or by using a roux which is what I usually do.
Make a roux by melting the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat, add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of flour, whisk until a paste forms. Gradually whisk in the strained broth, then simmer until it becomes a sauce consistently, if too thick add a little broth or water. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add the ribs back to the sauce, cover and keep them in a 200 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes until the ribs are heated through.
Serve the short ribs on a bed of mashed potatoes, polenta or noodles and top with some of the reduced red wine sauce.
Most butchers recommend 2 short ribs per person but I would suggest 1 rib per guest plus an extra one for male guests. At my last dinner for 10 people, I cooked 15 ribs and only 11 were eaten. A lot depends on how large the ribs are and what you are serving besides the entree.
You will be reducing the stock, so be careful with how much salt you use in this recipe, particularly if you’re using beef stock with sodium in it.
Wondra is a fine milled flour that is very good for sauces but regular flour is fine.
I make a mushroom stock to add to this recipe using dried porcini mushrooms (which is totally optional, Another cup of broth or water can be substituted. I have made the ribs with and without the mushroom broth and the sauce is excellent either way.
Start checking for doneness after 2 1/2 hours. If the short ribs are large, they may take longer to get tender.
notes from the kitcnen
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Braised short ribs are wonderful any time of the year but especially when the weather is cool as they are true comfort food. Since they are so easy to prepare, you might want to cook extras. Once the meat is off the bone, it’s great shredded in tacos, mixed with marinara sauce for a pasta dish, with bbq sauce for delicious sandwiches and so much more.
This is delicious, Karen. And I agree, the best meals are simple and prepared ahead so you can concentrate on enjoying the company of your guests! Wishing you a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2024!
Set a place for me please Karen, dinner sounds delicious!
Jenna
Anything you can make ahead at this time of year is greatly rewarded!
Karen, this recipe looks fantastic. I have used the recipe from the NYT but the next time I’ll make short ribs I will use your recipe. Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year.
Your recipes are always the kind that appeal to me so this is another to stash in my Karen file!
I can attest that this recipe is a keeper.
I can attest, first hand, that this is absolutely delicious.
It all looks so delicious, Karen! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the best of 2024!
I love short ribs so you wouldn’t have any lefover if I came round to dinner 🙂
We buy half a beef every year and I always ask for the short ribs. Trouble is I’ve yet to find the perfect recipe. Sounds like I have mine!
Hi Karen,
Now that I’ve transitioned to a mostly meat-based diet and minimising sugar and other carbohydrates, I’ve found beef short ribs to be a perfect lunch and snack food. Refrigerated overnight, the next morning the fatty meat cuts easily into cubes of meat and with some extra salt makes for a tremendously satisfying middle of the day gap filler if I feel hungry.
I simply cook them in salted water either in a slow cooker or in a pressure cooker.
I hope you and yours have a Christmas filled with peace, and joy, and rest. I hope that your health remains good Karen.
It was absolutely delish!
The ribs look mouthwatering. So tender. I need to add this to my list. Yum.
That looks so GOOD! I need to make some too.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Your short ribs of beef look scrumptious!
Wonderful! There are just a few cuts of beef I really enjoy, and short rips are at the top of the list!
Looks like a winner recipe Karen. We are fans of this dish and need to get it on the winter schedule.
Comfort food at its best!
This looks so delicious!
I know it’s delicious! I made something very similar for Christmas last year and being able to make it ahead of time was such a stress saver! Merry Christmas Karen!
Susan
https://savoringtimeinthekitchen.blogspot.com/
This is a wonderful dish that can be prepared ahead. We had something similar for our Christmas dinner last year! Merry Christmas, Karen! Susan
Thanks Karen, Malcolm and I like to do as much as possible the day before a party so that we can enjoy visiting with our guests. We love short ribs and this recipe looks like a keeper.
Hi Karen,
Great idea to be able to socialize with your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen! I like this menu idea for a party – thank you! It sounds delicious, too. 😊
What a delicious short ribs!
What a beautiful dish. JT often orders short ribs when we go out but I’ve never thought to make them at home. Your recipe showed me that it’s easy and looks as good as the restaurant dishes that JT has. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Wow, your braised short ribs recipe sounds like a dinner party dream! Who can resist melt-in-your-mouth beef and that luscious red wine sauce? Thanks for sharing such a delicious and stress-free recipe!”
I’m hungry just reading this recipe, Karen. Seriously! I appreciate all the detail that you’ve included to create a sensational dinner. I agree with you that there’s something very special about preparing a wonderful dinner and sharing with friends. This would be such a delight, and I already know the couple I’d like to invite for sharing.
This looks fabluous! Merriest to you, Karen! Thank you for your visits in the past year and for your lovely blog taking us to beautiful spots with terrific food!
This looks amazing Karen and I will be making it soon. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2024!
These look so fall of the bone delicious!! I agree with you that it’s perfect for entertaining, as you can do most of the work ahead of time.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
How did I miss this? These robs sounds just amazing — I always loved short ribs as a kid and now every more so as an adult! Thanks for this — and I hope you both had a wonderful Christmas.
Melt in your mouth and super delicious! Love short ribs. Perfect recipe to enjoy around the holidays with a glass of wine and family and friends. Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a super 2023 Karen!
Wouldn’t you know it but I have some beef short ribs simmering away in the kitchen right now! You know the saying…great minds think alike. 🙂
Wow sounds delicious with red wine 🍷 😋👍🏼
what volume dutch oven do you use? Can I make this recipe at this scale with a 7qt or 8qt? Or do I need to purchase a 13-15qt dutch oven?
I would think that the 7 quart would work but it all depends how they are cut and how many you end up cooking. You will just have to place them in an empty pot and see how they fit before you start cooking.
I have a question. Could you do this recipe in a crock pot instead of a Dutch oven?
While I don’t have a crock pot, I think it would be fine.