Red Wine Short Ribs

5 from 3 votes

Red Wine Short Ribs are the ultimate comfort food. Braised to lock in flavor then oven baked for 3 hours the ribs fall off the bone.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3 5

Total Time3 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: red wine short ribs

Servings:

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Adrianne

Equipment

1 Paper towel
1 Chopping board
1 Kitchen Tongs
1 Large saute pan with lid
1 Wooden spoon
2 Oven Mits

Ingredients

1kg/ 2. 2 pounds beef short ribs
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tbs olive oil
1 bulb fennel leaves and stems trimmmed, base of bulb cut into thin pieces
200 grams/7 oz Swiss brown mushrooms chopped in half
200 grams/ 7 oz button mushrooms
1 leek roots removed, cut into thin slices from base till it reaches the darker green leaves, discard tops and roots.
1 tablespoon garlic chunky, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Red Wine Sauce

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 cups/750ml red wine Note 5
3 cups/750ml vegetable stock Note 6

Instructions

Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5. Note 4
Season: remove the packaging from the ribs and use paper towel to pat them dry. Then place them in one flat payer on a chopping board. Season with salt and black pepper then flip to the other side and repeat.
Brown: place a large saute pan on the stove and turn the heat to high. Pour in the olive oil, give the pan a swish and then use tongs to place the ribs into the pan. Allow them to cook for 3 minutes then flip to the other side and cook for a further 3 minutes. Once done transfer to a paper towel lined chopping board.
Vegetables: without rinsing or cleaning the pan add the sliced leeks, fennel and mushrooms. Cook these for 2 - 3 minutes, using a wooden spoon to move them around in the pan as they soften.
Garlic and herbs: once the vegetables are cooked, add the garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano and dried thyme. Stir these to combine then cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Ribs and sauce: Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, followed by the vegetable stock and then the red wine. Next use kitchen tongs to place the short ribs back into the pan, bone side up with meat side nestled into the vegetable mixture. Place the 2 dried bay leaves in the centre of the pan, put the lid on and place the ribs onto the middle shelf of the preheated oven.
Additional liquids: after 1 hour of cooking, use oven mits to remove the pan from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface. Use an oven mit to remove the lid, then pour in another 1 cup of vegetable broth, followed by 1 cup of red wine. Put the lid back on and place the ribs back into the oven. After a further hour, remove the ribs and repeat the top up of vegetable stock and red wine. Place the lid back on and place the ribs back into the oven for a final hour.
Serve: portion mashed potato (optional) into bowls, then top it with a cooked rib as well as several spoonfuls of sauce and vegetables. Season with black pepper and freshly chopped parsley.

Notes

Note 1 Beef short ribs: available at the grocery store (meat section) or local grocery butcher. They look a lot different to a rack of pork baby back ribs. They are much shorter, having been cut into small square or rectangular portions. They can be a little bit expensive, but are also often on 'special', so keep your eye out if you are sticking to your budget.
Note 2 Swiss Brown Mushrooms: the 2nd type of mushroom used in the recipe. These are larger than the button mushrooms and help to create another mushroom texture within the dish. Chop these in half.
Note 3 Button mushrooms: the 1st of the 2 types of mushrooms that we use for the recipe. This delightfully small mushrooms hold their own with the beef and also melt like butter in your mouth, changing colour over the course of their cook time. Leave these whole and add to the dish as is.
Note 4 - Worcestershire sauce: is a savory ingredient. For a sweet ingredient option, omit this and replace it with the equivalent amount of apple cider vinegar.
Note 5 - Vegetable stock: you can use chicken stock (chicken broth) in place of the vegetable stock to the equivalent amount. I don't use beef broth (beef stock) for the recipe as I find it too heavy with the red wine. **We do not pour in the 3 cups at once. We add 1 cup, then an additional cup at each hour of the cook time**.
Note 6 - Red wine: I use a Pinto Noir for the wine. The specific bottle is a lighter in calories than standard Pinot Noir and is very smooth without sediment. You could also use a merlot or shiraz. **As with the vegetable stock, we do not pour in the 3 cups at once. We add 1 cup, then an additional cup at each hour of the cook time**.
Portion size: a good portion size is 1 beef short rib per person with a couple of spoonfuls of the vegetables and drizzles of sauce. If the ribs are very small you can serve 2 per person.

Nutrition