Serves: 4
Time: 3½–4 hours (mostly hands-off)
Ingredients
4 lb (1.8 kg) bone-in beef short ribs, patted dry
2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp oil (grass fed beef tallow, grass fed butter, avocado or olive)
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
1½ cups dry red wine (or ½ cup beef broth + 1–2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
2 cups beef bone broth (Want to make your own. Here's my blog post step by step instructions.)
2 tsp Worcestershire (optional but great)
2 sprigs rosemary, 6 sprigs thyme, 2 bay leaves
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Season ribs all over with salt and pepper.
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Sear: In a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat oil. Brown ribs well on all sides (about 10–12 min). Transfer to a plate.
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Build flavor: Add onion, carrots, celery; cook 5–6 min until lightly browned. Stir in garlic 30 sec, then tomato paste 1 min.
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Deglaze with red wine, scraping browned bits. Simmer 2–3 min to reduce slightly. Add broth, Worcestershire, herbs; return ribs (bone-side up), plus any juices. Liquid should come ~⅔ up the ribs (add a bit more broth/water if needed).
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Braise: Cover and bake 2½–3 hours until ribs are probe-tender—a fork slides in easily and meat is pulling from the bone.
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Finish the sauce: Skim fat. Reduce the braising liquid on the stove 5–10 min to thicken (or whisk 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water, stir in, simmer 1–2 min). Brighten with balsamic or lemon, taste salt/pepper.
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Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, or buttered noodles. Spoon plenty of sauce on top.
Doneness notes
For braises, tenderness matters more than exact temp, but you’ll typically see 195–205°F (90–96°C) when the connective tissue has melted.
Make-Ahead & Reheat
- Even better the next day! Chill in the pot, remove solidified fat, and reheat covered at 300°F (150°C) until warmed through (20–30 min), or on the stove over low.
- Freezes well up to 3 months (sauce + meat together).
Simple Variations
1) Slow Cooker (set-it-and-forget-it)
Follow steps 1–4 in a skillet or pot, then transfer to slow cooker. Cook LOW 8–9 hours or HIGH 4–5 hours until tender. Finish sauce as above (reduce in a saucepan if thin).
2) Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
Sear in the pot. After deglazing and adding liquids/herbs, cook High Pressure 45 minutes, natural release 15 minutes. Remove ribs; simmer sauce on Sauté to thicken.
3) Garlic-Herb (no wine)
Swap wine for more broth. Add 1 Tbsp Dijon and 1 tsp soy sauce to the liquid for depth.
4) Sticky Soy-Ginger
Use 1½ cups beef broth + ¼ cup soy sauce + 2 Tbsp brown sugar + 1 Tbsp rice vinegar + 1 inch ginger, sliced. Finish with a drizzle of honey and sesame seeds. (Great with rice & scallions.)
Sides that love short ribs
Creamy mashed potatoes, parmesan polenta, buttered egg noodles, sticky rice, roasted carrots, garlicky green beans, crusty bread, or a simple arugula salad with lemon.
Jenny’s Note: I almost always use the slow cooker to save time. I braise/sear the short ribs first in a hot skillet to build deep flavor, then transfer everything to the Crockpot. I also reduce the beef broth a bit so the sauce finishes richer—about 1 to 1¼ cups broth (or broth + splash of vinegar) instead of the full amount. This keeps the ribs succulent without the sauce getting too thin.