Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are a tender and flavorful meal perfect to warm you up in the cold weather. Cook on the stovetop or a slow cooker.
If you like Traditional Short Ribs, then you’ll be sure to love this version with red wine braising liquid for an even richer flavor because it makes a fabulous fall Beef dinner recipe with a cozy and warming taste that you’re sure to love. Try my Guinness Braised Short Ribs next!
Why You’ll Love These Short Ribs?
- Flavorful short ribs can be made in a Dutch Oven or in a Slow Cooker.
- Tastes like you spent hours cooking it but most of the time is actually hands off!
Sabrina’s Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Recipe
Braised Beef is classic comfort food that’s great to serve on a weekend or for a family holiday meal. This recipe does require hours of cooking, whichever cooking method you use. However, most of that time is hands-off, and you can use a stovetop or slow cooker option depending on what works best for your schedule. People particularly love using the slow cooker version on weeknights.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef short ribs (bone-in)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Season the beef ribs with salt and pepper.
- Roll in flour, tap off excess.
- Add oil to a large pot on medium-high heat.
- Sear all the sides of the short ribs, about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Remove the beef and add in the onions, cooking for 5-6 minutes or until translucent and just beginning to caramelize.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined.
- Put the beef back into the pot, cover, and cook for 3 hours or until fork-tender. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 8 hours.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, grits, or egg noodles.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
Rolling each Short Rib in flour before you brown it will help the meat to form a nice brown crust on the outside. It will not only help provide the color, but also texture and enhance the flavors. The flour also helps to thicken the sauce a bit so it sticks to the meat a little better. It does take a bit of extra time, but it is worth it in the end.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
The cooking does take some time because the short ribs need to soak and simmer in the braising liquid to get their deep flavor and tender texture. The red wine sauce not only tenderizes the meat but also adds a complex sweet and acidic taste to the entire dish as it cooks. Using your slow cooker is a great option for preparing the short ribs. With just a little bit of prep, you can put them in the cooker and go on about your day until you’re ready to eat dinner. That way you can prep the ingredients in the morning and leave them to cook throughout the day. Then the mouthwatering dish is all ready to go in the evening.
Serving Ideas
For an elegant dinner fit for any occasion, you can serve this comfort meal with your favorite classic side dishes. Firstly, cook up some egg noodles, Mashed Potatoes, or Polenta as a filling and simple addition to the meal. If you’re trying to eat healthier, you can also try it out with a cauliflower mash. Pour any extra sauce from cooking over your sides. You’ll love the rich taste of the noodles or potatoes with sauce. For a holiday meal, add other sides like Green Bean Casserole, and Brussels Sprouts Gratin to round out the dish.
How to Store
- Serve: Wine-Braised Ribs can stay good at room temperature for up to 2 hours. To keep them out longer, put them in the slow cooker at low heat.
- Store: Once the ribs have cooled down, you can seal them in an airtight container to store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freeze: To keep them longer, seal the ribs in a freezer bag or another airtight container with each rib separated by wax paper so they don’t freeze together. They’ll stay good for up to 6 months.
Slow Cooker Method
- You’ll start by preparing your meat in the same way by seasoning and rolling the ribs in flour.
- You can sear the ribs in a pan to get them nice and brown, then transfer them to your slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients to create the braising liquid, then set your crockpot on Low for 8 hours of cooking.
Frequent Questions
Short ribs are a type of beef ribs, as opposed to pork ribs that you often see in restaurants. They are different from regular beef ribs, which are much bigger and longer. Short ribs come from the 5 shorter ribs in the chuck section of the animal.
Short ribs have a lot of connective tissue in them. It takes a lot of time and heat for that tissue to break down, but once it does the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender. This is also why a slow cooker is a great option for making Short Ribs.
Braising is a cooking style involving 2 heating methods. When you’re braising meat, first you brown it using a high heat. Next you stew it slowly in liquid until the meat is cooked and tender.
Variations
- Wine Replacements: If you don’t have wine, you can use simple replacements. One option is using 3 cups of beef stock. For other replacements try using chicken broth, vegetable stock, or apple juice.
- Seasonings: Season sauce with different herbs and spices like white pepper, paprika, cumin, fresh thyme, basil, rosemary, or red pepper flakes.
- Vegetables: You can also add veggies to cook along with the meat in the slow cooker or dutch oven. Bell peppers, carrots, or broccoli would go great with the recipe.
Related Recipes
More Short Rib Recipes
Photos used in previous version of this posts:
This is the ultimate showstopper for hosting dinner parties! The short ribs cook down until they are fall-apart tender, and the red wine reduction creates a sauce that is rich, glossy, and full of deep savory flavor.
Thank you so much for the kind words and the 5 stars!