It’s a well-kept secret that braised short ribs are a gourmet home cook’s best friend. Browning and then braising for hours in the oven turns the short ribs so tender that the meat needs little more than a second glance to fall off the bone. In this case, it will fall off the bone into super creamy parmesan polenta that transforms this into a comfort food dream of dinners.
In my early 20s when I lived in a shoebox of an apartment that was generously labeled a “junior” one bedroom, I was convinced that the secret to kitchen adulthood was learning to make braised short ribs.
And they have served me well over the years. Braised short ribs are the perfect dish for entertaining because, not only they make the whole house (or junior one-bedroom as the case may be) smell like a fancy restaurant kitchen for hours, but they are incredibly forgiving. Get the braise in the oven hours before guests arrive and you’ve got plenty of wiggle room to make an appetizer, have a glass of wine, and pull the braise out of the oven right when you want to serve dinner.
It’s an impressive plate of food to bring to the dinner table. And easy to make in large batches. Which is great because your neighbors will likely follow their noses to your door and ask for a plate. And like most braises, Braised Short Ribs are even better a day after you’ve made them.
This recipe was created using a Calphalon Signature™ Nonstick 5Qt Dutch Oven which is one of our favorite and most used kitchen tools. The nonstick surface of Calphalon’s Signature Nonstick line is created using some truly fancy technology that means you can use it over high heat to get a beautiful sear.
Which you’ll see more of in just a moment.
To make this braise…
1) Season Short Ribs
Braises are all about developing rich flavors from a few basic, delicious ingredients. Start by generously seasoning the short ribs with salt and pepper.
2) Sear Short Ribs
Over high heat, get a nice golden brown sear on all sides of the short ribs.
We used the new Calphalon Signature™ Nonstick cookware which is great for searing. This is some serious sear action for a nonstick surface.
3) Deglaze
After the short ribs are seared, transfer them to a plate and return the pan to the heat. Add the mirepoix (fancy name for the mix of chopped onions, celery and carrots) and stir it around a bit to get it started cook.
Then “deglaze” the pan with red wine. Adding the liquid to the hot pan will help to bring up all those browned bits on the bottom of the pan and those will result in a crazy flavorful sauce.
4) Add Short Ribs and Fresh Herbs
Place the short ribs back in the pan along with stock (use unsalted stock since it will reduce down as it cooks) and fresh herbs. I love fresh thyme, but rosemary or bay leaves would be great additions as well.
5) Braise Short Ribs in the Oven
And the hard work is done! Put the lid on the pan and transfer the dish to a 325 degree F oven. Set your kitchen timer for 2.5 hours and sit back to enjoy the delicious aromas that are about to fill your kitchen.
6) Rest Meat and Serve
When the short ribs are so tender that the meat falls off the bone, transfer the short ribs to a plate and let them rest (covered with foil to keep them warm) for 20 minutes. In that time you can make parmesan polenta or whip up a quick sauce using the steps in the recipe that follows.
Time to start planning your next dinner party. Enjoy!
Braised Red Wine Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta
Ingredients
Braised Short Ribs:
- 2 lbs Bone-In Short Ribs (see note)
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 3 ribs Celery, chopped
- 3 Carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup Red Wine (any variety)
- 4 cups Unsalted Beef Stock
- 6 springs Thyme
Parmesan Polenta:
- 3 cups Milk
- 2 cups Water
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Polenta (or grits)
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F / 163 C.
- Generously season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add short ribs and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer short ribs to a plate and return pan to heat.
- Add onion, celery and carrots to hot pan. Saute to let the vegetables begin to soften and pick up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. Add red wine and stir, scraping up any more browned bits that remain in the pan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes. Add stock and thyme sprigs. Add short ribs back to the pan. (Note: The short ribs should be mostly covered with liquid, with just the tops uncovered. Add a bit more stock or water if more than half of the short ribs are uncovered.)
- Place the lid on the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, until the meat of the short ribs easily falls off the bone, 2.5 to 3 hours. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Do either of the following two optional steps or jump down to make the polenta.
- Optional Step 1: If you'd like to get a crisp exterior on the short ribs (which is a great complement to the tender, juicy interior, remove short ribs from their cooking liquid and transfer to a sheet pan. Turn on the oven's broiler. Place the sheet pan at least 6 inches under the heat source and broil just until crisp on the top, about 5 minutes (watch them closely so they don't burn).
- Optional Step 2: If you'd like to make a pan sauce, run the cooking liquid through a strainer (discard any solids from the vegetables and meat) and return the liquid to the pan. Simmer until the pan sauce reduces significantly, about 10 minutes. If you'd like a thicker gravy-style sauce, whisk 2 Tbsp of flour with 1/4 cup hot water and add that to the simmering pan sauce.
- While the meat rests, make the polenta by bringing milk, water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. While whisking the liquid, slowly add polenta. Continue whisking until the polenta begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to a low simmer and continue simmering until the polenta is thick but still creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter and parmesan cheese until fully incorporated.
- Spoon polenta into serving bowls. Top each serving with short ribs and cooking liquid. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Need a dessert for these lovely braised short ribs? Try my Guinness Chocolate Cake.
What a great idea to combine polenta and beef ribs!
I made this last night for my husband and me. It was Amazing! We loved it…never made short ribs or polenta before.
I’ve never made short ribs before, but when I do – I’m going to come back to this recipe!! {client}
Shirley Thompson
Must try this recipe!
Can the braised short ribs be made ahead of time and frozen?
Anne – these will freeze great. I’d keep them in the cooking liquid and freeze in a bag or other freezer-safe container. Braises like this get better in the fridge too, so you could also always make it 1-2 days ahead and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just reheat it on the stovetop when you’re ready. Hope that helps!
How long on the stove top to reheat? Is reheating in oven better, how long? I made today and will reheat tomorrow. Thanks
Hi Donna – I prefer to reheat it covered on the stovetop just because it’s a little easier to check in on it, but the oven would work well too. Should just take about 20 minutes over low-medium heat or in a 350 oven. It should taste even better the day after you make it!
Thank you so much for the reply.
Smelled great yesterday cooking. Will enjoy tonight.
Happy New Year
This recipe is awesome. I’ve made it three times now and soup from the left overs. I use bourbon instead of wine.
Michele – what an awesome idea! Frank has already requested that I make this again with bourbon instead of wine. Thanks for the tip!
2 pounds? Girl, I’m going to need waaaay more than that next time. This army can eat and this is delish. Thank you!
Haha – I’m so glad! We can quickly plow through 2 pounds over here too!
how many pounds for a party of 12
I would do 12 lbs just to be safe. Better to have too much than not enough.
In the oven right now. My house is loving the smell. Can’t wait to give this a try
My husband made this tonight and it was FANTASTIC! We had to do without the celery because my 3yo grabbed green onions by mistake, but we didn’t miss it. So. So. Good.
I’ve made this before for Christmas dinner and it was an absolute hit!!! However, can I use boneless short ribs next time?
Hi Nicole! This is one of our favorites – with the weather getting cooler, it’s on our list too! Yes – you can use boneless short ribs for this recipe. In my experience, the only issue is that the boneless ribs have a slight likelihood of falling apart as they cook. It hasn’t happened to me every time, but just something to keep an eye on. I’ve used the same exact cooking process for boneless ribs though.
Can this be made in the Crock-Pot?
Hi Lauren!!! Yes! I’ve done it in the crockpot. I’d still sear it in a pan first since that gives it a ton of flavor, but then cook on high or low until it’s super tender. If I remember correctly, I did it on low for ~7 hours.
Are we straining out the vegetables or eating them?
Either way, Carol. I usually like to eat them, but they do get quite tender, so you could always roast veggies separately to serve on the side.
Is it ok to have the short ribs on top of each other after they have been seared? I am going to make this for 5 people and don’t know if i can get it all into a single layer in one pot when it goes back in the oven.
Kelly – absolutely – that should be fine. Once they’ve been seared, you will have locked in that flavor, so it will be fine to cook them in layers on tope of one another. Enjoy!
This recipe was fantastic! I made it for my husband and brother-in-law a few weeks ago and they loved it. Earned me some good points all around. So easy and so delicious for a cold winter’s night.
Thanks so much for your note, Stacey. I’m glad these were a hit – we always love this recipe when the weather gets cold!
Air I triple the amount of meat ( 6 pounds) do I triple the beef broth?(
Yes – I’d go ahead and triple the broth as well.
Can I make this a day ahead and just reheat in the oven? What temp do you suggest?
Absolutely, Judy! In fact, I think it’s better a day after cooking. I’d probably use 350 F to reheat, covered. You may want to add a bit of water to the sauce before reheating to think it out if it seems quite thick / rich after being in the fridge overnight.
Delicious! I️ was looking for an easy recipe for Braised Short Ribs, and this is it! First time cooking Short ribs; first time cooking polenta!
Only recommendation is to add garlic. I️ added one clove, but next time I’ll add three! Thanks so much for this amazing and easy recipe.
So glad you liked it Angela. The garlic is a great idea. Thanks for the note!
Hello!
I am planning to try this recipe out. Do you just use salt to season the meat and no additional salt even when using no salt added broth? Just wondering….thanks very much!
Hi Liz – that’s correct and a great question. I just season the meat before cooking, but I do always taste and add extra seasoning to the broth at the end if needed. Since everything cooks down quite a bit, the resulting dish is usually well seasoned without adding any extra salt, but as you know, the seasoning can vary quite a bit. Definitely taste at the end and add extra salt if needed.
These ribs were amazing! I used dried thyme and added a few cloves of garlic and a little extra wine. We had ours over homemade mashed potatoes along with crusty French bread. These are definitely something you could serve for a nice dinner with friends!
Yum – thanks so much Nicole. I would like to come have dinner at your house!
I meant to add that I prepped everything in the morning and putting it in the fridge. I later cooked them as directed for about 2 hours and 45 minutes. It worked great to prep them ahead of time!
Oh and thanks a bunch for this make-ahead tip. I often get questions about this, so I’m glad for the recommendation to pass on to others.
These have become one of my staple recipes for winter. So unbelievably yummy! Thanks so much
It’s a staple for us too – so comforting in the winter. Thanks so much for letting us know!!
Awesome recipe. Instead of using polenta I used pureed cauliflower. It was awesome. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I have made this several times and it is always a big hit.
I’m so glad Kathie! It’s definitely one of our favorites – especially this time of year.
Great recipe. The southern girl in me made grits instead of polenta. Delicious.i can’t wait to make again.
Nothing wrong with that!! 😉 Glad you liked it!
Is there any substitute for wine you recommend if we need to avoid alcohol?
Absolutely! I would just replace the wine with stock. You could even add a couple tsp of red or white wine vinegar as well to give it a bit of the tart flavor that comes from the wine.
Hi
I want to cook this for a dinner party for 12. Could I cook the polenta beforehand as it seems a bit of a faff doing it at the last minute with lots of people in the house!
Thanks
Yes! You can reheat polenta, but you’ll need to add some additional liquid. I’d cook it on the stovetop and then just leave it off the heat. About 10 minutes before serving, I’d put it back over low-medium heat with some extra liquid (start with 1/4 or 1/2 cup and slowly heat it, adding more liquid as needed).
How can I cook this in the over without a Dutch oven? Alternatively I can do it in the crockpot if I need to…In that case do I keep everything else the same and just increase the cooking time as suggested above?
I’ve been really interested in creating a new version of this recipe for the slow cooker, but haven’t quite perfected it yet. I do think you could easily transfer everything to the slow cooker – I’d do 6 to 8 hours on low to be sure it’s really tender. If you have any other oven-safe pan, you could use that instead of a Dutch oven – even a large skillet or saute pan with a lid should work.
I tripped and froze. How do you recommend to reheat?
Hi Julie! This should be easy to reheat. Just defrost it in the fridge until fully thawed and then put it back in the Dutch oven. Slowly bring it back up to heat over low-medium. Add some water if the liquid has reduced a lot.
I am wondering how to cook 4 lbs instead of 2. I don’t want to double it because I feel like that will be too long then. Do you know how long I should cook for or if anything else should be doubled? If I want to do carrots, parsnips, and potatoes instead of polenta should I cook with the meat or roast separately?
Hi Erica – great question! I wouldn’t change the cook times in this case. I think you’ll find that the directions should work as written even if doing 4 lbs. Double all of the ingredients (click the number next to “servings” and you’ll be able to adjust the amounts easily). I love the idea of carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to serve with it! I’d roast them separately for maximum flavor (and not to soak up too much of the liquid in the braise). Let me know how it goes!
Would this work with country style ribs? Every store in my area is out of short ribs right now but I still really want to make this recipe!
Hi Allison – I’m pretty sure it would work just fine with country style ribs! They might have a bit more of a tendency to fall apart / shred when tender, but maybe not. Let mw know how it works out!
Hi! Thoughts on pre-cooked polenta that’s ready to heat and serve? Should I just heat and mix in all ingredients? Can’t wait to try this out!