This braised short ribs recipe adapts flanken-cut beef to a slow, covered cook with red wine, stock, tomato paste, onion, carrot, and thyme. If you are learning how to cook short ribs, the key is gentle heat and enough time for the collagen to soften. The thin pieces brown quickly, stack neatly in a Dutch oven, and expose several cross-sections of bone to the liquid. After about two hours, the meat relaxes around those bones and the cooking liquid reduces into a glossy sauce.
Flanken cut means the butcher sliced across the rib bones, usually into strips containing three small bone circles. Nordic Catch's Black Angus flanken short ribs are about half an inch thick and packed as six pieces. They are designed for quick Korean-style grilling, but the same marbling also works in a braise. The texture will not resemble a large English-cut short rib. It becomes tender sooner and serves naturally in smaller portions.
Browning is the first source of depth, and it cannot happen in a crowded pot. Dry each rib, season it, and sear in batches. The bottom of the Dutch oven should develop dark brown fond, not a wet layer of gray juices. If the fond threatens to blacken, lower the heat before the next batch. Burned bits make the finished sauce bitter; brown bits make it savory.
The wine should reduce before the stock goes in. That short boil cooks away raw alcohol aroma and concentrates acidity. Choose a dry red wine you would drink, but not an expensive bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Cotes du Rhone all work. If you avoid alcohol, replace it with extra unsalted beef stock plus one tablespoon of red wine vinegar added near the end.
Braising liquid should come roughly halfway up the ribs rather than submerge them completely. The covered pot traps steam for the exposed surface while the lower half cooks in liquid. Turn the pieces once if they are stacked. A low oven gives steadier heat than a burner and is less likely to catch the sauce on the bottom.
Tenderness is the doneness cue. A fork should slide beside the bone with little resistance, yet the meat should still hold together when lifted. Flanken ribs vary in thickness, so begin checking around 90 minutes. If they remain springy, cover the pot and continue in 15-minute increments. More heat does not speed collagen gently; it only makes the sauce boil harder.
The vegetables are doing two jobs. They sweeten the sauce as they soften, and they provide small solids that help the reduced liquid cling to the ribs. A rough dice is fine, but pieces larger than half an inch may remain obvious after two hours. For a restaurant-smooth sauce, strain the braising liquid before reducing it. For a home-style finish with more body, leave the vegetables in and press a few against the side of the pot with a spoon. Both versions use the same method.
Defatting matters more with short ribs than with most braises. The cut releases a significant layer of beef fat as its connective tissue softens. Skim with a wide spoon while the sauce is hot, or make the dish one day ahead and lift off the solid cap when cold. Do not remove every shimmering droplet. A small amount carries flavor and gives the sauce gloss. The goal is a sauce that coats the tongue, not one that feels oily after the first bite.
If the sauce tastes flat after reduction, reach for acid before salt. One or two teaspoons of red wine vinegar can restore definition to beef, wine, and stock that have cooked together for hours. Add it off heat, stir, and taste again. Fresh parsley or chives can bring another layer of lift. Sugar is rarely necessary because carrot, onion, and reduced wine already provide sweetness. A bitter sauce usually points to burned fond, which is why careful browning at the beginning is so important.
Nutrition
Nutrition varies with the exact cut, trimming, portion size, and how much sauce or cooking fat reaches the plate. The figures below are an estimated range for planning, not a laboratory analysis. Use the package label and the amounts you actually serve when precise dietary information matters.
| Estimated Macros | % DV* |
| Total Fat 34-46g | Varies |
| Saturated Fat Varies | |
| Protein 38-48g | Varies |
| Sodium 700-1,000mg | Varies |
| Carbohydrates & Notes | % DV* |
| Total Carbohydrate 10-16g | Varies |
| Dietary Fiber Varies | |
| Total Sugars Varies | |
| Serving size See above |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb flanken-cut Black Angus short ribsFeatured
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 cups unsalted beef stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Preparation
Thaw the sealed ribs overnight in the refrigerator. Open the pack over the sink, then pat the meat and exposed bone surfaces dry. Small bone fragments can remain after cross-cutting, so inspect each piece and wipe away any loose particles with a damp paper towel. Do not soak the ribs, which adds moisture you then have to drive off.
Dice the onion, carrot, and celery to roughly the same size. Slice the garlic and measure the wine and stock before browning starts. Once the pot is hot, you want the next ingredient ready so the fond stays dark brown rather than crossing into black. Heat the oven to 325F with a rack in the lower middle.
Season the ribs just before searing. Flanken pieces have more surface area than a thick English cut, so they need less salt per pound than you might expect. You can correct the sauce after reduction, but you cannot remove salt that concentrated for two hours.
- Thaw overnight under refrigeration.
- Inspect for loose bone fragments.
- Dry every rib thoroughly.
- Dice the vegetables before heating the pot.
- Measure wine and stock in advance.
- Heat the oven to 325F.
How to Cook
Use a heavy Dutch oven with a tight lid. The pot should hold the ribs in two snug layers after browning. A very wide vessel evaporates too quickly, while a narrow saucepan forces the pieces into a tall stack and cooks them unevenly.
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Brown the ribs in batches
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs in a single layer for about two minutes per side, including one meaty edge when possible. Transfer each browned batch to a tray. Leave the rendered fat and dark fond in the pot unless any spot has burned black.
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Build the aromatic base
Lower the heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery with a small pinch of salt. Cook for six to eight minutes, scraping the bottom, until the onion softens. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook two minutes more, until the paste darkens to brick red.
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Reduce the wine
Pour in the red wine and scrape up every browned bit. Bring to a lively simmer and reduce by about half, five to seven minutes. The aroma should smell rounded and fruity rather than sharply alcoholic. Add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf.
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Braise until tender
Return the ribs and any juices to the pot, arranging them as evenly as possible. The liquid should reach about halfway up the stack. Bring just to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the 325F oven. Cook for 90 minutes, turn the pieces, then continue 30 to 60 minutes until fork-tender.
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Defat and finish the sauce
Move the ribs to a warm platter. Discard thyme stems and bay leaf. Skim fat from the surface, then simmer the liquid uncovered until it lightly coats a spoon. Taste for salt, pepper, and acidity. Return the ribs for two minutes to glaze before serving.
How to Serve
Serve two or three flanken pieces per person, depending on the rest of the plate. Spoon sauce over the meat but keep the small bones visible so diners understand the cut. Provide steak knives even though the meat is tender. The connective tissue around each bone is part of what makes the dish satisfying.
- Brown in batches. Six thin ribs still need open space to sear rather than steam.
- Keep the braise quiet. A gentle simmer softens collagen without shaking the meat apart.
- Season after reduction. Stock, wine, and natural juices all become saltier as the sauce concentrates.
What to serve it with. Choose something that can catch the sauce and one vegetable with bitterness or acidity.
- Mashed potatoes: Keep them lightly seasoned so the braising liquid stays central.
- Soft polenta: A good alternative when you want less butter on the plate.
- Braised greens: Mustard greens or kale balance the rich beef.
- Roasted carrots: Their sweetness echoes the aromatic base without adding another sauce.
Short ribs improve after a night in the refrigerator. Cool the meat in its sauce, cover, and refrigerate for up to three days. The fat will solidify on top and lift away easily. Reheat slowly in a covered saucepan at a bare simmer, adding a splash of stock if the sauce is too thick. Freeze meat and sauce together for up to two months, leaving room in the container for expansion.
