Best Cooks Illustrated Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipes

CLASSIC BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Season all sides of the short ribs with salt and pepper.
• Heat a heavy, oven-safe pot over high heat. Add in olive oil and allow to heat briefly. Sear short ribs in olive oil, about 1 minute per side, to render fat. Remove from pot and set aside.
• Add in onion and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add in garlic and saute 1 minute more.
• Pour in beef broth, red wine (if using) and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Return short ribs to pan. Place a rosemary sprig on top.
• Cover with lid and transfer to preheated oven for about 2.5 hours, until meat is tender.

RED WINE-BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the short ribs on a sheet pan, brush the tops with olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Roast for 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large (12-inch) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, onions, and carrots and cook over medium to medium-high heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced. Add the stock, tomatoes, Guinness, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
• Place the ribs in the pot, along with the juices and seasonings from the sheet pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook in the oven for one hour. Uncover and cook for one more hour, until the meat is very tender.
• Remove the short ribs to a plate with a slotted spoon and discard the thyme bundle and any bones that have separated from the meat. Simmer the sauce on the stove for 20 minutes, until reduced. Skim some of the fat off the top and discard. Return the ribs to the pot, heat for 5 minutes, and taste for seasonings. Serve hot in shallow bowls, with a toasted baguette and extra sauce on the side.

GARLIC BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH RED WINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear short ribs on all sides until deeply and evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate and continue with remaining ribs.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of remaining fat, leaving the good browned bits behind. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic, cut side down and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and continue to cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste has started to caramelize a bit on the bottom and up the edges of the pot, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add red wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned or caramelized bits. Let this simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just to take the edge off and reduce a bit. Stir in beef stock along with thyme. Using tongs, return short ribs to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated, nestling them in there so that they are submerged (if they are just barely covered, nestle them bone side up so that all the meat is submerged, adding more beef stock or water as necessary to cover). Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven.
• Cook, undisturbed, until short ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone (you should be able to shred the meat with a fork), 3½ to 4 hours.
• Using tongs, remove the ribs from the pot, taking care (for presentation purposes, really) not to let the bone slip out and transfer them to a large plate. (While you could serve the short ribs right out of this pot, the vegetables have all given up their flavor and texture and aren't worth much now, so feel free to strain the sauce for easier eating.) Scatter parsley, chives and lemon zest over the top of the short ribs. Separate the fat from the sauce, season with salt and pepper and serve alongside.

BEEF RIB ROAST WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Pulse garlic, rosemary, salt, and 1 tsp pepper in a food processor until smooth, then rub all over roast. Transfer to a rack set in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and marinate, chilled, at least 8 hours.
• Let roast stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Roast meat, fat side up, 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat (do not touch bone) registers 110°F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer to a platter and let rest, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of meat will rise to about 130°F for medium-rare).
• Do Ahead
• Beef can be marinated 1 day ahead.