If you’re pressed for time and don’t want to bother with fussy ingredients and complicated steps, then this quick & easy short ribs recipe is for you!
With warmth and sunlightwaning as the cool nights reachfurther back into the day, my thoughts turn from the quick grilled foods of summer to the rich stews and braises of autumn and winter. I crave melt-in-your-mouth roasts and opulent beef stews and of course, the crowned-king-of-the-braise, beef short ribs.
There are countless ways to prepare beef short ribs, and all of them take time. The ribs are tough, and only extended cooking will break down the collagen in the muscleto yield that perfect bite. Some short ribs recipes, notably those that rely on low temperature smoking, can take five hours or more. The payoff is huge, but Idon’t always havea full day to devote to babysitting a smoker. Most braises are quicker (in the two to four hour range), but some of them are pretty complicated affairs, so by the time I’ve prepped, seared, sauteed and then braised, I’mlooking at another five-hour investment of myprecious (ha!) time.
Now, I love short ribs. A lot. And I want to be able to eat them without too much advanced planning. I also want to eat them without breaking the bank. Most braising recipes call for a bottle of red wine. That can get pricey, as you wouldn’t want to cook with cheap wine! This short ribs recipe skips the wine, but the resulting saucehas a deep and satisfying flavor. I serve these short ribs over a bed of pureedpotatoes and parsnips, and they’ve been a huge hit every time. While the recipe calls for afew herbs and spices, the method is straightforward and easy, and the cook time is about the fastest you’ll find for this cut of meat. Printer-friendly recipe at the end of the post.
Quick and Easy Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients
for the short ribs
- 6beef short ribs
- Kosher salt
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced into rounds
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
- 3-4 cups beef stock
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
for the pureed potatoes and parsnips
- 2 pounds red potatoes, skins on and quartered
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled androughly chopped
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- enough milk to make the puree smooth, about 1/2 cup
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
If you have time, liberally salt the ribs on all sides and wrap them tightly in cling film or in the butcher’s paper they came in.
Refrigerate for at least an hour and up toovernight. Don’t worry if you don’t have time for this step. You can also salt the short ribs and get right on with the cooking. The reason we salt and rest (if we have time) is so the salt can penetrate into the meat. This not only flavors the meat throughout, but it also helps tenderize the muscle by [insert a bunch of science here]. Again, not a big deal if you need to skip this step. Just be sure to liberally salt the ribs before browning.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the herbs and spices in a bowl and set aside.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add the oil. Brown the ribs in batches and set aside.
Drain all but a few tablespoons of the oil, reduce the heat to medium low and add the onions. Cook the onionsfor a few minutes until they just start to brown.
Add half of the garlic and cook for another minute.
Return short ribs to the pot. Try to keep the bone-side facing down.
Sprinkle the spice mixture over the meat. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can rub the mixture evenly over each rib. Sprinkle remaining garlic over the top of the ribs.
Add enough beef stock to cover the ribs about 1/2 to 2/3 the way up their sides.
Cover, place in the oven and braise for 2-2 1/2 hours.
While the ribs are cooking, make the potato and parsnip puree. Fill a medium pot with cold water and add some salt. Add the potatoes and parsnips and set the pot on the stove over medium high heat. When the potatoes have cooked, drain off the water, add the butter, sour cream and milk and puree with an immersion blender. You could also do this in a food processor. Mashing by hand works too, but the parsnips require a bit more elbow grease to get properly mashed. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Test the ribs with a fork to see if they are done. They should be very tender and just about falling off the bone.You should be able to easily slide the rib off the bone, but you don’t want to cook it so much that the connective tissue surrounding the bone completely dissolves.
Place the ribs on a platter and cover with foil.
Strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and skim off the fat.
Add the sauceto a small pot. You have a few choices here. If you are satisfied with the flavor and thickness, you can leave the juice as is and adjust the seasoning. If you prefer a more concentrated flavor, you can reduce the sauce by boiling. If you like a thicker sauce, you can whisk in a bit of flour while reducing until you get the sauce thickened to your liking. Depending on my mood and available time, I use all three methods.
To serve, make a bed of the pureed potatoes and parsnips on a large plate or in a shallow bowl. Place one rib, with bone, in the middle of the bed. Pour sauce over the meat and sprinkle with parsley for garnish.
Enjoy!
For the first pic below, I thickened the sauce, so it would stand out in the photos. The next pics show some smaller short ribs that were cut in half by the butcher. I reduced the sauce, but didn’t add any flour for that batch.
If you're pressed for time and don't want to bother with fussy ingredients and complicated steps, then this quick & easy short ribs recipe is for you!
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Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Ingredients
for the short ribs
- 6 beef short ribs
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - sliced into rounds
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder - (optional)
- 3-4 cups beef stock
- 1 bunch fresh parsley - chopped (for garnish)
for the pureed potatoes and parsnips
- 2 pounds red or yellow potatoes - skins on and quartered
- 1 pound parsnips - peeled and cubed
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- enough milk to make the puree smooth - (about 1/2 cup)
- salt and pepper to taste
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the herbs and spices in a bowl and set aside.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add the oil.
Liberally season the ribs with salt and then brown them in batches and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium low and add the onions.
Cook the onions for a few minutes until they just start to brown.
Add half of the garlic and cook for another minute.
Return short ribs to the pot. Try to keep the bone-side facing down.
Sprinkle the spice mixture over the meat. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can rub the mixture evenly over each rib.
Sprinkle remaining garlic over the top of the ribs.
Add enough beef stock to cover the ribs about 1/2 to 2/3 the way up their sides.
Cover, place in the oven and braise for 2-2 1/2 hours.
While the ribs are cooking, make the potato and parsnip puree. Fill a medium pot with cold water and add some salt.
Add the potatoes and parsnips and set on the stove over medium high heat.
When the potatoes have cooked, drain off the water, add the butter, sour cream and milk and puree with an immersion blender. You could also do this in a food processor. Mashing by hand works too, but the parsnips require a bit more elbow grease to get properly mashed.
Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Test the ribs with a fork to see if they are done. They should be very tender and just about falling off the bone. You should be able to easily slide the rib off the bone, but you don’t want to cook it so much that the connective tissue surrounding the bone completely dissolves.
Place the ribs on a platter and cover with foil.
Strain the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and skim off the fat.
Add the sauce to a small pot. You have a few choices here. If you are satisfied with the flavor and viscosity, you can leave the juice as is and adjust the seasoning. If you prefer a more concentrated flavor, you can reduce the sauce by boiling. If you like a thicker sauce, you can whisk in a bit of flour while reducing until you get the sauce thickened to your liking.
To serve, make a bed of the pureed potatoes and parsnips on a large plate or in a shallow bowl. Place one rib, with bone, in the middle of the bed. Pour sauce over the meat and sprinkle with parsley for garnish.
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