Short ribs are one of my most-very-favorite things. And they’re SUPER EASY – so don’t run away – try them. I promise; you can do it!
Over the years I’ve anointed myself a connoisseur of certain things.
One of these things is braised short ribs. I’m not entirely sure when it was decided that I should be crowned the authority on short ribs, but if I had to guess, it was probably about the 60th time that I ordered short ribs. After spending that much quality time with a piece of meat, I think I know it pretty well. Seems legit, right?
I take my job very seriously because I know that everyone is waiting on the edge of their seat for my personal stamp of approval. 😜 As a connoisseur, there’s a moral obligation to order these things every time I seem them on a menu. I love to compare one chef’s take on a dish to another. And of course, then I have to go home and try to make my recipe even better.
Now back to these short ribs…
I like short ribs to be falling off the bone, melt in your mouth, succulent, meaty, juicy, tender. You know what I mean? Right?
Most of the time short ribs are braised in a wine based sauce which is also magnificently delicious. But I love the flavor that a rich Guinness Stout adds to this classic dish. This recipe is a keeper. It’s a classic recipe that once you make it once you will come back to it again and again. I love making this dish for a romantic dinner in. Serve it with a nice bottle of wine and some fantastic dinner rolls and it is always a home run in our house.
A little science geek tidbit coming at you – the ‘bone-in’ status of this cut of meat is what gives this dish all that meaty flavor. It’s rumored that fat is what adds flavor to meat, but in reality, the flavor bomb really comes from connective tissue breaking down in the cooking process. Braised meats are slow cooked in liquid. This process allows all of that flavor to present itself in the form of a magnificent sauce.
Make this recipe for someone that you love; and then try it again with wine, instead of Guinness and then maybe you can join the short-rib-connoisseur club, too.
Guinness Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone in short ribs 4 equally sized ribs
- 2 carrots rough chopped
- 3 stalks celery rough chopped
- 1 lb cipollini onions peeled
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 cans Guinness
- 1 ½ cups tomato juice
- 4 cups beef stock
- 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp oil I prefer coconut or bacon fat
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉
- Season the short ribs well with salt and pepper.
- Add oil to a hot dutch oven.
- Sear ribs on each side until a deep golden brown is achieved, remove from pan and set aside on a plate.
- Add mirepoix (carrots, celery and onions) cook in pan for 3-5 minutes.
- Add Guinness to the pot and deglaze any golden crunch bits. (that's the good stuff) short ribs back to the pan.
- Add the short ribs back to the pot.
- Add tomato juice, stock, garlic, thyme and bay leaves.
- Cover with lid. And place in oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes reduce the heat to 325℉
- Cook at 325℉ for another 2 ½- 3 hours. (Oven temperatures vary) About half way through you can check the liquid. Make sure there a sufficient amount of liquid in the pan. There should be no less than ¼ of the liquid left.
- Continue to cook until the meat is falling off the bone. Add more liquid if needed.
- Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes.
- Remove short ribs and set aside.
- Strain the liquid and vegetable mixture. You should have about 1 ½ - 2 cups of liquid left over. Return the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. If you don't you can add a little water or broth.
- Bring the sauce to a boil and then whisk in cold butter to finish sauce.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or roasted smashed whole potatoes.
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