Last Updated on July 8, 2020
If you’re in need of comfort food that warms the house and fills it with delicious smells, these braised short ribs are exactly what you’re looking for.
Braised Short Ribs Recipe
What are Short Ribs
Short ribs are a cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of beef cattle. Short ribs consist of a short portion of the rib bone, which is overlain by meat which varies in thickness. There are two major types of cuts when referring to short ribs. First, the flanken is cut across the bone and leaves the bone just 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) in length. Second, the English is cut parallel to the bone and leaves the bone up to 6 inches (15 cm) in length.
What is Braising
Braising (from the French word, “braiser”) is a combination of two cooking methods. First, you sear the meat at a high temperature. Second, in a covered pot at a lower temperature while sitting in some (variable) amount of liquid (adding flavor) the meat is further cooked until it’s time to serve.
In Love with Braised Short Ribs
The braised short ribs are a favorite in our family and are requested often for two reasons:
- They taste great and everyone cleans their plates
- The leftovers make the best breakfast (get the Short Rib Scramblers recipe here)
Braised Short Ribs over Mashed Potatoes
Cook Time for this recipe varies, depending on if you use the oven (3-4 hours) or Instant Pot (1 hour) method. Both methods result in flavorful, tender short ribs that you'll want to eat every day.
Ingredients
Ribs
- 4 lbs Boneless Beef Short Ribs
- Sea Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Avocado or Olive Oil, we use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil
Braising Liquid
- 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 stalks Celery, diced
- 2 tsp Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup Red Wine
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2/3 cup Paleo Balsamic Ketchup, see notes
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar, leave out for low-carb option
Instructions
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 280°F.
- Combine all 'Braising Liquid' ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Dry the ribs thoroughly with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, brown the ribs on all sides, being sure not to crowd the pan. This will likely take 2 batches to brown them all.
- Place browned ribs in a large oven-safe pot, dutch-oven, or other similar oven-safe container with a lid. I use a large stoneware bowl from Pampered Chef and lid it with another stoneware casserole dish.
- Place lidded dish in the oven a rack below center. Cook for 3-4 hours (the longer the better, but 3 hours is fine if you're in a time crunch).
- Remove from oven and very carefully remove the lid away from your face.
- Serve ribs over mashed potatoes (red or Yukon gold are our favorites). Spoon extra braising liquid over the ribs and potatoes.
Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker) Instructions
- Dry the ribs thoroughly with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Press the 'Saute' button on the Instant Pot and add the avocado oil. When the oil is hot, brown the ribs on all sides, being sure not to crowd the pan. This will likely take 2-3 batches to brown them all. Remove the ribs and set aside.
- Add another Tbsp of oil to the pot (still on the Saute settings) and add the onions, celery, and garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining Braising Liquid ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Add the browned short ribs, making sure to push them under all the liquid. Press the "Cancel/Keep Warm" button.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock into place. Turn the vent to 'Sealing' and set the Manual time to 45 minutes.
- When the cycle is complete, let the Instant Pot naturally pressure release (NPR) for 15 minutes. Quick Pressure Release any remaining pressure and carefully open the lid facing away from you when all pressure is released.
- Serve ribs over mashed potatoes (red or Yukon gold are our favorites). Spoon extra braising liquid over the ribs and potatoes.
Notes
- When making Paleo Balsamic Ketchup for this recipe, leave out honey for low-carb (keto) option.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12Amount Per Serving Calories 769Total Fat 65gSaturated Fat 26gUnsaturated Fat 30gCholesterol 142mgSodium 277mgCarbohydrates 9gSugar 5gProtein 32g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
Allison Alfone
Saturday 20th of January 2018
We just purchased half a grass fed steer and my short ribs are not boneless. Any suggestions on modifying the recipes?
Kendra Benson
Sunday 21st of January 2018
Since the cook time is so long, you should be fine with either bone-in or bone-out. We just prefer boneless which is why that is specified in the recipe.
Roxanne
Friday 29th of December 2017
What size can of tomatoes?
Kendra Benson
Friday 29th of December 2017
14.5 oz
Kendra Benson
Monday 21st of November 2016
@Jolena, I'm so glad to hear they turned out good in the crockpot and that everyone enjoyed them :)
Jolena
Sunday 20th of November 2016
So good! I ended up cooking them in the crockpot and they turned out perfect! Huge hit with everyone including guests. Thank you for sharing!