Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Rich and succulent, these red wine braised short ribs are a rustic yet elegant pick to serve as an appetizer for a date-night at home. Prepared with short ribs braised in a savory sauce kissed with red wine until delectably tender and falling off the bone, these braised ribs are absolutely scrumptious spooned atop garlic crostini for a bistro-style meal!

Short ribs braised in a savory wine sauce

There's little as romantic and cozy as enjoying a special date night with the one you love in an outdoor cafe, under the twinkling stars...

A while back, my hubby and I found ourselves in a precious little space that hit all the right notes for a perfectly romantic evening. Utterly delighted, we sipped some of the most delicious red wine we've ever had between scrumptious bites of various finger foods. One of our favorite offerings that evening was the red wine braised short ribs spooned over top of crisp, golden little crostini.

The crostini were toasted to perfection, with a little olive oil and a touch of garlic rubbed over top. The braised short ribs were wonderfully saucy, with that deep flavor of red wine. A finishing touch of finely shredded parmesan wisps and a sprinkle of parsley completed the dish. Every bit of it all was absolutely irresistible!

Wanting to recreate our special date night, I came up with my own recipe for those mouthwatering, red wine braised short ribs, prepared in our own kitchen “cafe” for a magical evening at home, any time we crave this scrumptious bistro-inspired meal.

My recipe for red wine braised short ribs

Delicious braised short ribs are not difficult to make, only requiring a bit of time and patience to simmer and braise away until the meat falls off the bone—succulent, tender, and easily shredded.

I like to season and sear off the short ribs to create a flavorful crust on the outside, which always equals flavor, adding even more savoriness to the red wine sauce.

As far as the sauce goes, I like to give just a little hint of tomato flavor by way of adding a spoonful of tomato paste to the aromatics in my pan. I then deglaze and flavor everything with a splash of red wine (you can use any type you like to drink), along with some beef stock.

The seared short ribs are then nestled back into the sauce in the braising pan (or Dutch oven), and placed into the oven to gently braise until succulent, and the meat falls easily from the bone and shreds.

Here's a sneak peek at my red wine braised short ribs recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I season and sear off my beef short ribs until golden brown, then set those aside for a moment.
2. Next, I prepare my sauce.
3. I then nestle the short ribs back into the sauce, place into the oven, and braise for roughly 2 ½ hours.
4. Once braised, I skim any excess fat that has accumulated, and shred the meat, returning it to the sauce.
5. Next, I prep my garlic crostini by toasting small slices of baguette, then rubbing with fresh garlic clove and drizzling with olive oil.
6. To serve, I spoon the braised short ribs over top of the crostini, and sprinkle with grated parmesan and parsley, then enjoy.

Recipe

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These red wine braised short ribs make for a scrumptious, bistro-inspired appetizer spooned over top of garlic crostini!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8 (with 4 garlic crostini each)

Nutrition Info: 974 calories per serving

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 55 minutes

Braised Short Ribs Ingredients:

• 3 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in
• Salt
• Black pepper
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• Olive oil
• 1 large, white onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoons fresh, chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup shaved or finely shredded parmesan cheese

Garlic Crostini Ingredients:

• 2 large (12.5 ounce) crusty French baguettes, sliced into 32 slices (16 slices per baguette)
• Olive oil
• 3 whole cloves garlic

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your short ribs ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Next, preheat your oven to 325°.
3. Place the beef short ribs into a large bowl, and sprinkle with a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper, as well as the flour, and toss to coat well.
4. Then, place a large braising pan or Dutch oven (about 3 or 4 quart size) over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once very hot, add the beef short ribs into the pan (if you can't fit all of them at once, work in batches) and sear on that first side until a rich golden-brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the ribs over and brown on the other side, then remove ribs from pan.
5. Reduce the heat under the pan to medium or medium low, and spoon out some of the rib drippings leaving behind about 3 tablespoons worth of fat. Add in the diced onion, and saute until golden-brown, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the garlic, and saute just until aromatic, about 30 seconds or so.
6. Then, add in another small pinch of salt and pepper, along with the Italian seasoning, and stir. Add in the tomato paste and stir to cook out some of the raw flavor, for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Pour in the red wine and allow it to reduce slightly, about 2 minutes.
8. Next, stir in the beef stock, then nestle the short ribs back into the pan, into the liquid. Bring to a vigorous simmer, cover, and then transfer to the oven to braise for about 2 ½ hours, or until the meat falls off the bone and easily shreds.
9. Once braised, remove the ribs from the pan and set them aside for a moment. Carefully tip your pan to one side, allowing the fat to accumulate on top, and skim as much fat as possible out, leaving behind the tasty bits on the bottom and any juices.
10. Then, shred the meat and add it back to the remaining sauce to keep warm, and stir in the chopped parsley, and check to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed.
11. Next, gather and prep all of your crostini ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
12. Set your oven to broil, and line a baking sheet with foil and a wire rack.
13. Drizzle (or brush on) some olive oil over each slice of baguette, and place under the broiler for a couple of minutes just until the first side is golden (don't walk away since the slices will toast fast!).Flip the slices over and toast a minute longer for the other side to get golden.
14. Remove from oven and liberally rub the cloves of garlic over each crostini.
15. To serve the red wine braised short ribs, spoon some of the meat over top of slices of the garlic-rubbed crostini, and sprinkle over a good bit of shaved or finely grated parmesan to finish.

Tips & Tidbits for my red wine braised short ribs recipe:

• Smaller short ribs make for easier handling: Usually beef short ribs are cut fairly small when sold as a package. If you're asking your butcher to cut them for you, ask that they be cut smaller for you, if possible.
• Get your braising pan or Dutch oven nice and hot: Get your pan extremely hot before adding in your seasoned short ribs, as this will ensure that they sear and brown nicely, and get a bit of a crust—it provides lots of good flavor in the end!
• Good quality red wine: I love a good Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel for this recipe, one that I would enjoy drinking along with the meal. But feel free to use your favorite varietal, just make sure to purchase a quality that you will be happy to enjoy along with your prepared short ribs.
• Braise low and slow: Braising is a wonderful way to cook, because it's practically effortless once you brown your meat. Just set your oven to a low temp—325°—and allow the short ribs to slowly braise for about 2 ½ hours so that the meat becomes very tender.
• Skim that fat: Short ribs release quite a lot of fat during the braising process, so skim it out at the end. Once braised, removed the ribs and carefully tip the pan to one side allowing the fat to collect on top, and skim as much of it off as you can, leaving the tasty bits and juices behind.

Craving more cozy and beefy recipe like this one? Check out my Short Rib sandwich recipe, or my recipe for Braised Beef with Mixed Mushrooms, Short Rib Ragu with Porcini Mushrooms, or even my Crostini with Grilled Steak recipe!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2017, and has been updated with even more love!