Easy Oven Baked Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce are the answer to your dinner party dreams. They are full of flavor, classic comfort food, and so tender the beef falls off the bone. Braised beef short ribs are also the perfect make-ahead main dish for a special holiday dinner or a fabulous dinner party.
6beef short ribslarge, meaty, bone-in, about 4.5 to 5 lbs total or 10 to 12 ounces each.
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
3tablespoonsunsalted butter
1½cupschopped onionabout 2 onions
4carrotsunpeeled and roughly chopped
4clovesof garlicminced
2tablespoonstomato paste
4sprigs fresh thymeplus more for garnish
750milliliterbottle dry red wine
4cupsbeef stock
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
Add butter to a large Dutch oven over medium heat or another large pan with a lid which can go in the oven.
When the butter is melted, add the short ribs a few at a time, so they are not crowded. Brown on all sides, and repeat with the remaining ribs.
Remove the ribs from the pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion and carrots to the pan. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the red wine. Cook for about ten minutes or until the wine is reduced by half. Then add the beef broth.
Add the short ribs back to the pan and bring back to a simmer.
Cover the pan and bake in the oven for two to two and a half hours or until the meat is very tender and about to fall off the bone. (Start checking at two hours.)
When the ribs are done, remove them from the pan and cover to keep warm. Discard the sprigs of thyme and cook the sauce over medium-high heat on the stove for 10 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Place the ribs back in the pot and heat through.
Optional, garnish with additional sprigs of thyme. Serve the ribs over mashed potatoes, polenta, rice, grits, or egg noodles and top with a few spoonfuls of the red wine sauce.
Notes
When purchasing short ribs, they should be at least two to three inches thick and weigh around ten to twelve ounces. They should also be well-marbled and have plenty of meat on the bones. They will shrink when cooked. If you buy the smaller, thinner ribs without much meat, you will only have bones left after cooking.
This recipe for beef short ribs is very rich and typically as long as the ribs are meaty one rib is about what most folks, except those with very hearty appetites, will eat. That said if you are buying a package of ribs, many times several will not be as meaty as others. The batch pictured in this post included two, that after cooking, cooked down to just bones with no meat to speak of. If you are hosting a dinner party or making this recipe for a special occasion, I would purchase at least a few extra, to be on the safe side.
For a smooth gravy-like sauce, before serving, pour it through a strainer to remove any bits of veggies. If you want to thicken it, make a slurry by combining one tablespoon of cornstarch with one-half cup of water. Add this slurry to the sauce and let it cook until it thickens. Then add the ribs back in and let them heat up before serving.
If there is any accumulated fat on the surface, use a spoon to skim it off before serving.
To make this dish ahead, follow the recipe as written. Let the ribs, vegetables, and sauce cool, and refrigerate covered for up to two days. Before serving, scrape off any solidified fat that may have risen to the surface. Bring the sauce and short ribs to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes until everything is thoroughly heated.
If you would like to make this recipe in a crockpot or slow cooker, follow the steps up to the point when all ingredients have been added to the pot. Transfer everything to your crockpot or slow cooker. Cook for eight hours on the low setting.