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This recipe for Braised Boneless Short Ribs makes the most fall-apart tender beef you will ever have. It’s comfort food at it’s best!
Serve over mashed potatoes for a warming meal the whole family will love.
I’m so excited to share this fantastic shorts ribs recipe with you! When craving comfort food, you can’t beat super tender short ribs. This dish is braised low and slow until they get that fall-apart deliciousness everyone loves in a stew.
Why This Recipe Works
- Using boneless short ribs, which are less fatty than ribs with bones helps to produce a non-fatty sauce.
- Using bacon adds an extra depth of flavor to the dish.
- Thoroughly browning the ribs helps the sauce develop a deep meaty richness.
- Reducing the wine before braising helps to ramp up the richness of the dish.
What are Short Ribs
Short ribs are the meaty ends of beef ribs from the chest and shoulders of the cow. They are best cooked using slow, moist-heat methods like stewing or braising. The connective tissue, which softens as it cooks to helps create a deeply flavored sauce.
Short Ribs Buying Guide
Choose the meatiest, well-marbled, bright-colored short ribs without too much surface fat. Try to find ribs that are 4 inches long and 1 inch thick.
If you can’t find boneless ribs, substitute 7 lbs of bone-in beef short ribs that are at least 4 inches long with at least 1 ” of meat above the bone.
How To Make Braised Boneless Short Ribs
- Brown the beef in batches and set aside.
- Soften the vegetables and coat with flour.
- Add the wine and reduce.
- Add stock, herbs, and seasoning and stir to combine.
- Cook low and slow the oven until fall-apart tender.
Step by Step Instructions
Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with 2 teaspoons salt.
If you have the time, this is best done the day before. then re-wrapped and stored in the fridge until ready to use. Then be sure to pat dry before cooking.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Drain all, but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.
Add half of the beef to the pot with the bacon fat and cook, without moving, until well browned (about 4 to 6 minutes). Turn the beef and repeat on the other side. Set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, celery, and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and the liquid cooks off. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the flour and coat the mixture well. Cook, stirring constantly until it browns on the sides and bottom of the pan then increase heat, add wine, and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until reduced by half.
Add the stock, parsley, pepper, and bay leaf. Add cooked bacon, browned beef, and any accumulated juices to pot; cover and bring to simmer.
Transfer pot to oven and cook, until a fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 to 2½ hours.
Using tongs, transfer meat to a cutting board and shred or cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot.
Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed before serving.
Erren’s Top Tips
- When browning the meat, work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan which will result in steaming the meat instead of searing.
- To get a good sear, don’t move the ribs after adding to the pan for at least 3 minutes.
- White or red wine are both good choices, but vermouth and dry sherry work too.
- For a nonalcoholic option, use extra stock with two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
- For extra richness replace the flour with tomato paste.
- If the sauce doesn’t thicken enough, store in a roux of butter and flour to thicken on the stovetop before serving.
Other Cooking Methods
- Slow cooker: cook 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high.
- Stovetop: Simmer on low for 2.5 hours
- Pressure Cooker: Omit the flour and cook 1 hour on high. Use a roux to thicken once cooked.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions
- Make ahead, cool completely, and store in the fridge for up to three days in advance. Reheat on the stove until warmed through.
- To freeze, cool completely before transferring to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove until warmed through.
Recipe
Braised Boneless Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 ½ pounds boneless short ribs (trimmed of excess fat)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 oz bacon (chopped)
- 2 large onions (peeled and sliced)
- 4 large carrots (peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 2 celery ribs (chopped)
- 1 lb brown mushrooms (Cremini, baby Bella or chestnut mushrooms)
- 4 medium garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups wine (red or white both work)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- Fresh parsley (chopped)
- fresh ground pepper.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F and adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven.
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with 2 teaspoons salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the pan, and set aside. Drain all, but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.
- Add half of beef and cook, without moving, until well browned (about 4 to 6 minutes). Turn the beef and continue to cook on the second side until well browned, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke.
- Transfer beef to a plate and repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and short ribs. Set the browned ribs aside on a dish.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, celery, and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. (If onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to the pan.)
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and the liquid cooks off. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the flour and coat the mixture well. Cook, stirring constantly, until it browns on the sides and bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high, add wine, and simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the stock, parsley, pepper, and bay leaf. Add cooked bacon, browned beef, and any accumulated juices to pot; cover and bring to simmer.
- Transfer pot to oven and cook, until a fork slips easily in and out of meat, 3 to 3½ hours.
- Using tongs, transfer meat to a cutting board and shred or cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed before serving.
Slow Cooker
- Follow the stovetop instructions through step 10. Then transfer to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Using tongs, transfer meat to a cutting board and shred or cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed before serving.
Tips
- When browning the meat, work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan which will result in steaming the meat instead of searing.
- To get a good sear, don’t move the ribs after adding to the pan for at least 3 minutes.
- White or red wine are both good choices, but vermouth and dry sherry work too.
- For a nonalcoholic option, use extra stock with two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
- For extra richness replace the flour with tomato paste.
- If the sauce doesn’t thicken enough, add a roux of butter and flour to thicken on the stovetop before serving.
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