Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs

As the shadows get longer and daylight gets shorter, this is the perfect time of year for savory, slow-cooked meals. These red wine-braised beef short ribs are perfect for long Sunday afternoons when it is cold outside.

The ribs are slow-cooked and braised in a thick, hearty sauce of red wine and herb-seasoned vegetables, and the whole house will smell cozy with herbs and savory goodness.

This is one of those cozy dishes you’ll want to make while lazing around the house on Sunday. There is minimal hands-on time, and the ribs pretty much cook themselves into tender, fall-off-the-bone rib meat goodness!

These ribs are like the ones you find in fine restaurants, making them perfect for special occasions to share with your friends and family. A definite crowd-pleaser!

What Are Beef Short Ribs?

There are three cuts of beef short ribs from three different sections of the cow. 

• Back ribs – the most common. Comes from the thick side of the prime rib.
• Plate ribs – come from a section right below the primal rib called the plate section.
• Chuck Short Ribs – located right under the chuck from the first to the fifth rib.

Short ribs are bone-in plate short ribs consisting of rib and plate sections. The ribs are usually made into short-cut ribs in the grocery store, also known as “riblets.” You can use the shorter cut if you cannot get your hands on the long bone cut. 

English-style ribs are cut parallel to the bone, one bone per piece. They are commonly packed in racks of three or four bones at the meat counter of your local grocery store. However, we recommend supporting your local butcher shop.

Look for short ribs that are well-marbled with fat, so stay moist, tender, and juicy.

What Is Braising?

Braising is a moist-heat cooking method that uses a combination of wet and dry heat to cook meat or vegetables gently in a flavorful liquid. Braising can help you cook tough cuts of meat because it breaks down the connective tissue and makes it very tender.

Basic Steps to Braising

• Brown the Meat and saute any vegetables that accompany it.
• Bring the braising liquid to a simmer.
• Add the braising liquid, but do not completely submerge the meat in the liquid. The liquid should only come up about two-thirds of the way up the meat.
• Cover the pot, and cook the meat low and slow until the meat is tender.
• Skim off the fat from the braising liquid.
• Serve the meat with the liquid.

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Bacon: bacon fat is the base of the braising liquid. If you don’t have bacon, substitute it with a ½ stick of butter.
• Short Ribs: you’ll need at least 6 English-style beef short ribs or a few more as long as your pot is big enough to hold them.
• Seasoning: Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
• Vegetables: chopped onions, carrots, and mushrooms. You can use any onion or mushrooms you have on hand. I used sweet onion and baby portobello mushrooms.
• Garlic: I smashed four cloves of whole garlic and removed it once I rendered out the flavor. I have also minced the garlic and left it in. It’s up to you and what you prefer.
• Broth: Chicken broth provides a much more flavorful liquid than water. Substitute with beef broth or vegetable broth or stocks.
• Wine: Any full-bodied red wine will work.
• Tomato Paste: To give the braising liquid a burst of umami, sweetness, mild acidity, and helps with thickening.
• Fresh Herbs: Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
• Roux: flour and butter thicken the gravy and combine with the vegetables to smother the ribs.

How To Make Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs

This recipe is relatively easy to make, with little hands one time. Here’s a basic overview of how to make the ribs. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.

Render the Bacon

This recipe starts with browning the bacon. The rendered bacon fat is the base of the delicious braising liquid. You chop up the bacon and serve as a garnish for the ribs.

Brown the Ribs

Sprinkle the short ribs with the salt and pepper; sear in the hot bacon drippings on all sides until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the short ribs from the pot.

Saute the Vegetables

Smash the garlic cloves and add to the pot; saute for a minute to flavor the oil. Add the onions, carrots, and mushrooms to the drippings in the pan. Cook the vegetables for about 7 to 10 minutes or until they have released their liquid. Remove the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon; discard whole garlic cloves.

Make the Braising Liquid

Add the tomato paste to the pan and allow it to brown. Before the tomato paste burns, stir 2 cups of the chicken broth and 1 ½ cups of the red wine. Cook, stirring often, over high heat for about 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced in half. Turn off the heat; stir in the vegetables until well combined.

Cover and Cook

Place the short ribs into the pot with the vegetable mixture and top with fresh rosemary and thyme. Cover and bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the meat is tender.

Skim the Fat

Remove the stems from the rosemary and thyme; discard. Remove the ribs, place them on a plate, and wrap them in aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour vegetables through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, reserving the liquid. Reserve vegetables and keep warm with the ribs.

Let the cooking liquid stand for about 10 minutes. Using a spoon, skim the fat from the top of the liquid; discard.

Make the Gravy

In the same Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir the flour into the melted butter; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly stir the cooking liquid back into the pot, along with the remaining ½ cup of chicken broth and remaining ½ cup wine. Cook for ten more minutes or until the liquid has thickened. Stir vegetables into the sauce.

Serve The Ribs

Place the ribs onto a plate with vegetable sauce poured over them, with mashed potatoes, over egg noodles, or creamy polenta.

Tips For Making Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs

• Look for short ribs that are well-marbled with fat; this will keep them moist, tender, and juicy!
• Use a heavy pot with a lid, such as a Dutch oven. This will ensure the heat is evenly distributed and the ribs cook evenly.
• Don’t overcrowd the pot, mainly when browning the ribs.
• Be patient. The ribs may take a while to cook at such a low temperature, but trust me; it will be completely worth it!

Recipe FAQs

I made a few modifications to the original red wine-braised short ribs recipe by Paula Dean. I added garlic and fresh thyme. Beef and garlic are a wonderful combination, and the thyme has such a wonderful fragrance and pairs perfectly with the rosemary. 

Certainly, the leftover wine was consumed with this meal. As I learned many moons ago from Justin Wilson:  “Never cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink!”

Enjoy the ribs and the wine!

Making these red wine-braised beef short ribs? We’d love to hear your feedback. Leave us a comment and a star rating below. We really appreciate it!

See ya on the mountain!