Bone-In Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine and Beef Stock

Bone-in short ribs — the English cut, one bone per piece — braised low and slow in red wine and proper beef stock until the collagen surrenders and the meat pulls from the bone with a look, not a fork. This is the real thing: aromatics, fond, a good bottle, time.

Ingredients

• bone-in short ribs, English cut (about 3 inches thick) – 4 pieces
• kosher salt – 1 tablespoon + more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon
• neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed) – 2 tablespoons

• yellow onion, roughly chopped – 1 large / about 2 cups
• carrots, roughly chopped – 2 medium / about 1 cup
• celery stalks, roughly chopped – 2 stalks / about 1 cup
• garlic cloves, smashed and peeled – 6 cloves
• tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
• dry red wine (Côtes du Rhône, Barbera, or Zinfandel — drink the rest) – 1½ cups
• homemade or good store-bought beef stock (low sodium) – 2 cups
• fresh thyme – 6 sprigs
• fresh rosemary – 2 sprigs
• bay leaves – 2 leaves

• cold unsalted butter, cubed – 2 tablespoons
• fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped – 2 tablespoons

Instructions

1. Season the short ribs aggressively on all sides with salt and pepper at least 1 hour before cooking — or overnight uncovered in the refrigerator, which is better. Pull them out 30 minutes before searing so they're not fridge-cold.
2. Preheat your oven to 325°F / 165°C (convection: 300°F / 150°C). Heat the neutral oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers and just begins to smoke. Sear the short ribs bone-side up first, then fat-side down, then the two remaining sides — about 3 minutes per side. You want a deeply brown, almost mahogany crust, not a light tan. Don't crowd the pot; sear in batches if needed. Transfer ribs to a plate.
3. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Push the vegetables to the side and add the tomato paste directly to the bare pot bottom; let it cook undisturbed for 1–2 minutes until it darkens and smells almost sweet, then stir it into the vegetables.
4. Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot thoroughly to lift every bit of fond. Let the wine reduce by half, about 4–5 minutes. Add the beef stock, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. The liquid should come roughly halfway up the ribs — not submerge them. Nestle the ribs back in, bone-side up. Bring to a bare simmer.
5. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2½ to 3 hours, checking at the 2-hour mark. The ribs are done when a skewer or paring knife slides in with no resistance and the meat is pulling away from the bone. Don't rush this. If they're not there at 2½ hours, give them another 30.
6. Carefully transfer the short ribs to a rimmed baking sheet or deep plate. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a wide saucepan, pressing the solids to extract every drop. Discard the solids. Let the liquid sit for 5 minutes, then skim the fat from the surface with a spoon — or if you made this ahead, refrigerate it overnight and lift the solidified fat cap off cleanly the next day.
7. Bring the defatted braising liquid to a boil over high heat and reduce until it coats a spoon and has the body of a light sauce, about 10–15 minutes. Taste it. Season with salt. Pull the pot off the heat and whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time — this gives the sauce gloss and a little richness without making it heavy. Return the ribs to the sauce to warm through, spooning the sauce over them.
8. Serve the ribs on a warmed plate or shallow bowl — over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles, all of which are correct. Spoon the sauce generously over and around. Finish with a scatter of flat-leaf parsley.