My classic braised short ribs recipe that’s just as cozy and comforting as any dish you could dream of. Short ribs slowly braised in a rich braising liquid of tomato paste, red wine, balsamic vinegar, beef stock, and hearty herbs. Finished with a little lemon zest and served over whipped potatoes, with simple roasted root vegetables alongside. It’s my go-to recipe whenever I make braised short ribs…which is very, very often in the wintertime.
the story behind these braised short ribs…
When you think of comfort food, the ‘comfort’ comes not only from the dish itself, but also from the memories you associate with it. One of my favorite childhood memories that I can picture as if it was yesterday involves a cold, winter night and a pot of short ribs.
I was just beginning to find my love for cooking. One night my grandparents were in town and I wanted to make something special. I didn’t know much at the time, but I knew I wanted to braise short ribs. Snow was falling, we put on a fire and some wintery scented candles, and began to cook. While the short ribs were slowly braising away, my whole family hiked down to a pond that had completely frozen over. We laced up our skates and enjoyed the winter night out on the ice. Freezing and hungry, we made it back to the house to find the most intoxicating aroma coming from the kitchen.
Everyone devoured their plates as we sat together eating, letting the dish warm us from our chilly skating adventure. It’s a favorite cooking memory of mine, and one of the many reasons I love making braised short ribs so often in the wintertime to this day.
I start with bone-in short ribs and sear them until deeply browned and crisp. After softening the vegetables right in the meat drippings, I stir in a little flour to thicken the sauce. Tomato paste adds a deep, rich flavor that carries throughout the entire dish. I stir in lots of red wine, some beef stock and fresh herbs. As the short ribs braise, the meat completely tenderizes and soaks in all of the wonderful, earthy flavors of the sauce. The result is melt-in-your mouth meat that is falling off the bone and beyond comforting.
I serve the braised short ribs with some beautiful, simply roasted root vegetables – using carrots, red and golden beets, and turnips here, but feel free to throw in whatever you like or have on hand. Everything sits on top of dreamy manchego & brown butter whipped potatoes, with the braising liquid spooned over top for a juicy finish.
A meal so lovely for any cold night, and especially great for winter dinner parties.
PrintBraised Short Ribs with Roasted Root Vegetables
my classic braised short ribs recipe full of red wine and hearty herbs, served with roasted root vegetables and whipped potatoes
servings: 6
Ingredients
Braised Short Ribs
- 5 lbs bone-in short ribs
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- olive oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup red wine
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 qt beef stock
- 4 sprigs sage
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- whipped potatoes
Roasted Root Vegetables
- 1 bunch long carrots, halved lengthwise
- 4 small turnips, quartered
- 4 small red beets, quartered
- 4 small golden beets, quartered
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Braised Short Ribs
- Pat the short ribs dry and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat a large Dutch oven (or heavy-bottom pot) over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, work in batches to sear the short ribs on all four sides until deeply browned. Transfer the short ribs to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onions and celery to the beef drippings. Season with a good pinch of salt. Cook until softened and slightly brown. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for a few seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and flour until well combined. Let cook for another minute or so.
- Add the wine and balsamic vinegar. Stir well and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the beef stock and add the short ribs back to the pot, along with the herbs. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot, leaving a slight crack to allow steam to escape.
- Braise the meat for 3 ½ hours. Stir in the lemon zest. Serve the short ribs & roasted root vegetables (recipe below) over whipped potatoes. Spoon some of the braising liquid over top.
Roasted Root Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the beets onto a sheet pan and the carrots + turnips onto another.
- Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and toss well to coat all sides. Spread the vegetables into an even layer (the vegetables should not be on top of each other). Season well with a good pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until tender and caramelized.
Made this for a second time tonight! So much flavor and so tender from the braising! Perfect for tonight’s dinner party!
Hi Crissy! Oh I am SO glad to hear. Isn’t it a good one?! I’ve been loving it for cozy winter meals. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Going to try this recipe! This sounds awesome! I love short ribs with veggies! The potatoes sound awesome als9!
Oh I hope you absolutely love it!! Let me know how it goes. Short ribs are my favorite, too!
I made your short ribs for a dinner party and they were sublime. I’m cooking them again for Christmas dinner. Thanks for this recipe!
Tina, thank you so much for the great feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. This recipe is one of my favorites. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Thank you for sharing your memory with us! ? I will try this recipe!