If you can make stew, you can make tasty, tender short ribs—it’s easy! This is the best way to make them so the meat falls apart.
Beef short ribs are a tougher cut of meat that benefits from a wet slow-cooking method like braising, which is what we’ve done here. They have a real beefy meaty flavor, and are fall-off-the-bone tender when cooked slowly. They’re lovely served with polenta, some of their own cooking juice, like an au jus, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
There are more details about the types of short ribs out there (English-style and Flanken-style), how to braise short ribs, and more below, or you can click here to jump down to the recipe.
The first five ribs of the animal are shorter (hence the term “short ribs”), and the meat around them is more muscular than that around the other ribs. Like other tough cuts of meat, when slow cooked, short ribs break down and become incredibly tender and delicious.
What Are Short Ribs?
But before we talk about making short ribs, let’s talk about exactly what they are, especially since there are a couple of different kinds out there these days.
English-style ribs are cut parallel to the bone, and then each rib is cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths. The result is stubby little ribs with a 1- to 2-inch-thick hunk of meat attached to each. Being thick hunks of not particularly tender meat, English-style short ribs are best with a long, slow, moist cooking method (more about that in a sec).
Flanken-style ribs are cut across the bone. Essentially, each piece is a cross-section of a rack of ribs, typically about 1/2-inch thick, yielding a 5- or 6-inch long strip of meat studded with circles of rib bone. These have become popular because they’re what’s used in Korean-style barbecue. It’s the same meat as English-style ribs, so it’s still not the most tender, but because the meat is relatively thin, it can do well with a quick cooking method—like grilling.
Long story short, when you make “traditional” short ribs, like the ones in this recipe, you want to ask your butcher for English-style ribs and you want to use a long, slow, moist cooking method. In other words, a braise.
Braising is simply simmering foods in liquid for a long time. It’s essentially what you do when you make stew. And it’s totally what you do when you make pot roast, pork shoulder, or brisket. Technically, you could eat these cuts with a quick cook like you do for a steak or a chop—but you wouldn’t want to, because they’d be tough and chewy. But with a longer cook, time and heat break down the tough stuff (connective tissues), and the result is meltingly tender deliciousness.
So then, if you can boil water, you can braise. And you can make short ribs! Ta-da!
But – why cook with water when you can use something more flavorful, like broth or wine? And why not add some seasonings while you’re at it? And why not start by browning your meat, for even more flavor? My recipe is made extra-tasty by doing all those things, but is still essentially nothing more than long-simmered delicious beef parts!
What to Serve With Short Ribs
Serve your short ribs over polenta, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles. They’re really nice if you simmer some of the braising liquid and serve that with them too, like an au jus. A drizzle of a balsamic vinegar glaze on top is always nice. And then, I like an astringent green vegetable, like broccoli rabe or mustard greens to cut through the richness of the meat.
If you want to know if short ribs can be made ahead, the answer is YES. Like so many braised dishes, they’re actually better if they get to sit in the fridge overnight. All the juices settle in, and the flavors meld. It’s really a wonderful thing. So, if you’re having company over tomorrow and want to do the work today, short ribs are definitely a great bet.
You’ll make the recipe below exactly as it is written. But then, put the ribs with their cooking liquid (yes, let them be submerged in there) into a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then you just need to reheat them and serve them. You can do that in the oven at a low temperature (300F for 45 minutes) or in the microwave. My favorite thing to do though is to broil them.
To broil make-ahead short ribs you’ll actually be doing something very similar to how I make my make-ahead pork oven ribs. Start by taking them out of the fridge 45 minutes before serving and remove the ribs from the liquid. Wipe them off a bit. You can heat the liquid in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove to serve it with the ribs, if you’d like. As to the ribs, once they’ve been at room temperature for 45 minutes, brush them lightly with olive oil and then put them under the broiler until browned on top. Turn and broil the other side. You’ll continue to turn and broil them until they’re heated through. This forms such a lovely crust on the outside, while the meat inside stays nice and tender. Once they’re done, I like to sprinkle them with some coarse salt and then serve them.
If you like the idea of braising these short ribs and want more beefy recipes that use this technique, you’ll love these recipes:
Have a great day! -Christine xo
EASY Oven Baked Beef Short Ribs | The PERFECT Indoor BBQ Beef Ribs
FAQ
Do short ribs get tough before it gets tender?
Do ribs get softer the longer you cook them?
How long does it take for short ribs to get done?
Why are my slow cooked short ribs still tough?
Can short ribs be made ahead?
If you want to know if short ribs can be made ahead, the answer is YES. Like so many braised dishes, they’re actually better if they get to sit in the fridge overnight. All the juices settle in, and the flavors meld. It’s really a wonderful thing.
What is the reason for the pain in the ribs?
Pain in ribs can be due to various reasons including trauma (rib fracture), pulled muscle, joint inflammation, referred pain (liver, spleen, and lungs) and due to underlying undiagnosed auto-immune disorder.
How do you tenderize short ribs?
Slow cooking methods, such as braising or slow roasting, work best for tenderizing short ribs. These methods involve cooking the ribs at low temperatures for a prolonged period, allowing the connective tissues and fats to break down gradually, resulting in fork-tender meat.
What happens if you cook Short ribs too hot?
Much hotter and the fat will start leaking out copiously, making your ribs tough and dry. Short ribs cook best over a hot but not blazing hot fire. Like all things, fat has a tendency to burn when it gets too hot.