Tangy Braised Short Ribs
Published April 1, 2020
- Total Time
- 4 hours, plus seasoning
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 5pounds bone-in short ribs, at least 1½-inch thick, cut into single bone portions (or 3½ to 4 pounds boneless, at least 1½-inch thick)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 2large yellow onions, quartered
- 2heads garlic, halved crosswise
- 3tablespoons honey
- ½cup apple cider vinegar
- ½cup soy sauce or tamari
- 4cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
- 4thyme sprigs
- 2cups parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- ½bunch chives, finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt
- 3lemons, halved, for juicing
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
994 calories; 87 grams fat; 36 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 40 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 36 grams protein; 1007 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season short ribs with salt and pepper at least 1 hour (at room temperature) and as much as 48 hours (covered and refrigerated) in advance.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in batches, sear short ribs until deeply golden brown on both large flat sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer short ribs to a large plate or cutting board and drain all but about 2 tablespoons fat from the pot. Discard remaining fat. Repeat with remaining short ribs. Drain all fat from the pot and carefully wipe out. (No need to wash, just get rid of any scorched bits.)
- Step 3
In the same pot over medium-high, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and garlic get a bit of color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add honey and cook, stirring until it starts to bubble furiously, turning a darker amber brown and sticking to the bottom of the pot as it cooks.
- Step 4
Add vinegar and soy sauce, and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a strong simmer and cook to reduce by about half, 5 to 8 minutes. Add broth and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add short ribs back in, bone-side up, making sure they are as submerged in that braising liquid as possible. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Do not look at it or remove the lid for 3 hours. (Nothing bad will happen, promise.)
- Step 5
After 3 hours, check the short ribs, they should be extremely tender and nearly falling apart, almost having the jiggly texture of a baked custard or Jell-O. (If not, continue roasting another 20 to 30 minutes.) Remove from oven.
- Step 6
At this stage, you can remove the lid and using a spoon, carefully skim as much of the top layer of fat as possible. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees, and return the pot to the oven, uncovered, to let the short ribs brown a bit on top and thicken the braising liquid a bit, another 35 to 45 minutes. (Alternatively, you can remove the short ribs from the oven, let them cool at room temperature and place in them in the fridge, overnight. When ready to serve, remove them from the fridge and using a spoon, scrape off the solidified fat on the top layer. Return the short ribs, covered, to a 325-degree oven until totally warmed through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the lid and increase temperature to 425 degrees, and continue to cook, uncovered, to let the short ribs brown a bit on top and reduce the braising liquid, another 35 to 45 minutes.)
- Step 7
Meanwhile, combine parsley and chives in a small bowl and season with flaky salt.
- Step 8
Remove the short ribs from the oven and serve straight from the pot or transfer them to a shallow bowl or plate with high sides, spooning the braising liquid over. Squeeze lemons over, letting the juice season the braising liquid. Sprinkle with parsley mixture before serving.
- While my preference is almost always bone-in for any cut of meat, this recipe will work with boneless ribs, too. (And a brisket, if you must: Add an hour to the cooking time for a 4-pound brisket.)
- If you are lemon-poor, oranges are can step in for that last hit of acidity and brightness. If those aren’t an option, a splash of vinegar will do the trick.
Private Notes
Comments
What happens to the papery covering of the half heads of garlic in the long braise? Are the heads still intact and removed at the end? Thanks
I made it in the slow cooker yesterday, it worked out perfectly. Followed the recipe exactly - browned the meat on the stove top, placed in the cooker, then poured the braising liquid over top, turned it on low for 8 hours. AMAZING.
For the cooks asking about the garlic papers, I watched the NYT Cooking video of Alison making this entire meal (it’s on YouTube now), and she didn’t remove them at all! She did peel the papers off of the onions but just sliced the garlic heads in half and then placed both ingredients in the Dutch oven to brown. The only thing I saw her removing from the pot at the end of cooking/reheating was fat from the short ribs. Hope this helps!
Best short rib recipe — ever. Flavors are deep and complex. I didn’t add the lemons to finish as the dish was perfect without. Made it the night before and took off fat the next day before finishing. I served with smashed potatoes from Via Carota cookbook and asparagus. Take out the skins from garlic and onion before serving (easy to pick out). Served for Christmas dinner and it was a hit. Lovely presentation as well.
One of the best things I have made !!!!I started this out in the slow cooker. I have noticed over time that the slow cooker can really mute the flavors of the food being cooked. I had 12 ribs and was cautious about leaving it completely in the SC So I cooked it on low for 5 hours removed the ribs and liquid after pushing it through a strainer and left the liquid to sit over night. Removed the fat ( quite a bit) and returned the ribs and the liquid to my Dutch oven and put them in the oven for two hours on 375. ( used parchment and foil to create a seal). Wow that helped reduce the sauce. Served over buttered egg noodles this past weekend. It was out of this world delicious
Made this using the feature to scale the proportions up or down and went with 0.5x. Followed all the times and altered amounts as written. Ended up tasting delicious but the liquid all cooked off and the ribs were stuck to the bottom of the pan. Would suggest cutting down the time in the oven to 2.5 hours and maybe 25 without the lid.