Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

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The easiest braised beef short ribs recipe with just four ingredients: Garlic, herbs and red wine. These turn out incredibly tender, perfect for serving over creamy polenta.

For months now, I’ve been wanting to share this super-easy method for making red wine braised short ribs, a recipe that requires just four main ingredients and an oven.

But every single time I’ve cooked them my family magically made them disappear before I could take a photo to show you!

So here is the recipe, finally.

The best red wine beef short ribs

I think this might be the best way to cook oven-braised red wine beef short ribs, ever.

The results are delicious, and the process is as unfussy as it gets.

How to make easy beef short ribs

Making braised short ribs isn’t necessarily difficult.

Depending on how they’re made, the cooking process can involve multiple steps.

Usually, that means either searing them on top of the stove or over high heat on a grill, followed by hours of braising in the oven or on the stovetop.

But it’s easy as pie to make tender, tasty braised short ribs in the oven.

Making short ribs in the oven

I usually use my trusty Dutch oven for braising meat because I like the results even more than using a slow cooker.

It’s how I make one of my other favorite slow-cooked beef dishes, French Red Wine Beef Stew.

But for these short ribs, a rectangular baking dish or small roasting pan actually works perfectly.

The pan just has to be large enough that the ribs can lay flat and remain mostly submerged in the braising liquid.

Choose one that’s about 14 inches long by 11 inches wide and you’ll be good to go!

The savory juices and tender meat falls off the bone, and they are so good over this creamy, cheesy polenta.

You can also shred the beef and use as a filling for pot pie, ravioli, or some killer tacos.

these baked beef short ribs so easy to make

• The meat doesn’t need to be marinated ahead of time.
• The short ribs sear and then braise entirely in the oven, making clean up so much easier.
• In addition to the meat, all you need to make this recipe is red wine, garlic, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Keeping it simple allows the beefy flavor of the short ribs to shine.

What kind of red wine to use for short ribs

The best red wines for braising short ribs are dry, full-bodied varieties.

Zinfandel or malbec are good choices, and they’re affordable.

An inexpensive (under $15) blend from Cotes-du-Rhone or Bordeaux would also make delicious braised short ribs.

tools and ingredients to make braised short ribs:

The basic ingredients you need to make this recipe are:

• Boneless beef short ribs
• Dry red wine
• Garlic
• Fresh thyme or rosemary
• Salt and pepper

For great texture and flavor, I love to use organic whole-grain cornmeal to make polenta.

A small heavy-duty roasting pan is versatile for so many uses in the kitchen — it’s perfect for braising meats, roasting vegetables, fish and chicken.

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Simplest Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Karen Tedesco

The easiest, best way to make luscious, melting beef short ribs. Serve over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles.

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4.55 from 86 votes

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time 3 hrs 40 mins

Course Meat

Cuisine slow cooking

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs

• 3 pounds (1.3 kg) boneless beef short ribs, about 6 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (500 ml) full-bodied dry red wine such as Cotes du Rhone or Malbec
• 1 cup (250 ml) water or low-sodium beef broth
• 1 head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally
• Fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs, 3 or 4 each

For the polenta

• 1/2 cup (80 g) cornmeal
• 1 cup (250 ml) milk
• 2 cups (500 ml) water
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 1/3 cup (33.33 g) grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

• Heat oven to 475 (245C) degrees.
• Put the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the meat liberally on all sides with salt (I use 2 tablespoons Diamond brand kosher salt) and black pepper.
• Roast the ribs 20 minutes, until they're sizzling and forming a brown crust. Transfer the ribs to a roasting pan or 14" x 10" baking dish large enough to hold the ribs in one layer. Turn the oven down to 275 (140C) degrees.
• Pour 1/2 cup of wine onto the baking sheet and scrape up any brown bits, then pour it all over the ribs. Add the remaining wine and water. Toss in the garlic and herb sprigs.
• Cover the pan tightly with foil and return to the oven for 3 1/2 hours, until the meat is very tender and breaks apart when prodded with a fork. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest, covered, for 20 minutes. Shred the meat with a fork and pour over pan juices to keep them moist (skim the fat if you like).
• To make the polenta, bring the milk and water to a boil in a 2 or 3 quart heavy pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt and slowly stir in the polenta a little at time to avoid lumps.
• Turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring frequently until the polenta thickens, about 25 minutes. Stir in the butter and cheese. Cover and keep warm until serving.

Notes

• Braised short ribs will keep refrigerated up to a week, or frozen for 1 month.
• Reheat in a 350 oven about 25 minutes, covered.
• Use about 4 pounds bone-in ribs instead of boneless ones if you prefer.

Short ribs recipe adapted from Poole’s: Recipes and Stories.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 1003mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 5mg

Did you make this recipe? Mention @Familystylefood or tag #familystylefood on Instagram!!

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

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I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about making cooking fun and doable, with easy to follow tested recipes and incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.