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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs in a Dutch Oven

Red wine braised short ribs in a Dutch oven with fall-off-the-bone bone-in meat and a glossy mahogany wine reduction. Braise low and slow, then reduce the sauce for spoon-tender texture over mashed potatoes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bone-in beef short ribs
  • 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs Use bone-in for the classic braise texture.
Red wine braising liquid
  • 1 can (750 ml) dry red wine (Cabernet or Merlot)
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 carrots, cut into chunks
  • 4 stalks celery, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed Smashed helps it perfume the sauce.
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Herbs and aromatics
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste Season in step 1 and adjust at the end if needed.
Serving
  • 1 mashed potatoes for serving Serve with the reduced braising sauce.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, then season the bone-in short ribs generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.
Sear the ribs
  1. Sear the ribs in the hot oil until deeply browned on all sides, turning as needed for even color, then remove to a plate.
Build the braising base
  1. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom as they form.
  2. Add the smashed garlic and tomato paste, then cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and darker in color.
Braised in red wine
  1. Deglaze with the dry red wine, scraping the bottom to dissolve the browned fond.
  2. Stir in the beef broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary.
  3. Return the ribs to the Dutch oven so the liquid comes halfway up the sides, then cover.
  4. Braise in the oven for 3 to 3½ hours at 325°F until fall-off-the-bone tender.
Reduce and serve
  1. Remove the ribs, then strain the braising liquid and reduce until glossy.
  2. Serve the ribs over mashed potatoes and spoon the reduced braising sauce over top.

Notes

Pro tip: for the richest sauce, don’t skip the full browning on the ribs—fond is what drives the glossy reduction. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is yes (up to 3 months) though the texture of the ribs is best reheated low and slow. For a lighter option, use a low-sodium beef broth and reduce salt at the end to taste.