Free recipe French

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Name: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 5 lb bone-in beef short ribs, English cut, about 2 inches thick; 1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; 2 carrots, chopped; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 6 cloves garlic, smashed; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 3 cups dry red wine, about one 750 ml bottle; 2 cups low-sodium beef broth; 5 sprig fresh thyme; 2 sprig fresh rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Bone-in short ribs seared and slowly braised in red wine with aromatics and herbs until they fall off the bone into a glossy sauce.

By Theo Brandt, Test Kitchen Lead & Cheese Specialist Published April 1, 2026

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Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3 hrs 30 min
Total: 4 hrs
Servings: 6
Level: Medium

Braised short ribs are the kind of dish that makes guests think you worked all day, when really the oven did most of it. A deep sear builds flavor, a whole bottle of red wine and a few hours at a low temperature do the rest, turning a tough, marbled cut into something silky and luxurious.

Choose a dry red you would happily drink, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Cotes du Rhone. It reduces into a dark, glossy sauce, so any harshness will concentrate too.

These are even better made a day ahead, which also makes removing the fat easy. Serve over creamy polenta, buttery mashed potatoes or a pile of soft parmesan grits, with a scattering of parsley for freshness.

Fall-off-the-bone tender
Glossy red wine sauce
Perfect make-ahead dinner party

Directions

Season the short ribs all over with the salt and pepper and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the ribs on all sides until deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, then transfer to a plate.
Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits, and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by about half, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the broth, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Return the ribs to the pot bone side up in a snug layer; the liquid should almost cover them.
Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. Braise until the meat is very tender and pulling away from the bones, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Carefully transfer the ribs to a platter and tent with foil.
Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a fat separator or bowl, pressing on the vegetables. Spoon or pour off the fat.
Return the liquid to the pot and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to a glossy sauce that coats a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Return the ribs to the sauce to warm through, spooning it over them, then serve sprinkled with parsley.

Test-kitchen tips

Make these a day ahead. Refrigerate the ribs in the strained liquid overnight, lift off the solid fat, then reduce the sauce and reheat the ribs gently in it.
Sear in batches without crowding. A deep brown crust on every side is where much of the flavor in the final sauce comes from.
Boneless short ribs work too; reduce the braising time by about 30 minutes and start checking for tenderness after 2 hours.