Beef Short Rib Braise

The Most Forgiving Cut There Is

Short ribs are almost impossible to overcook. All that connective tissue needs time and gentle heat, and the longer you give it the better the result — the meat goes from tough, to tender, to falling apart. Braised in red wine and bone broth, the liquid reduces into a sauce so rich it needs no thickening at all. Make it a day ahead if you can.

Ingredients

Serves 4  |  Cost: $8.95 per serving  |  Total: $35.80  |  Ready in 60 min

• 1.5 kg (3¼ lb) grass-fed beef short ribs, cut into individual bones
• 2 tablespoons beef tallow
• 350 ml red wine
• 600 ml beef bone broth
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Sear the ribs. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Pat the short ribs dry and season heavily. Heat the tallow in a heavy casserole over high heat and brown them in two batches on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Set aside.
2. Build the base. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until darkened, then add the red wine and reduce by half, scraping the base of the pot clean as it bubbles.
3. Assemble and braise. Return the ribs to the pot with the bone broth, carrots, thyme, bay leaves and balsamic vinegar. The liquid should reach about two-thirds up the ribs. Cover tightly and braise for 3 hours.
4. Check for doneness. The ribs are ready when the meat retreats from the bone and offers no resistance to a fork. If they are still firm, give them another 30 minutes — this cut cannot be rushed.
5. Reduce and serve. Lift out the ribs and carrots and keep warm. Skim the fat from the surface, then simmer the liquid hard for 8–10 minutes until it thickens into a glossy sauce. Season, and spoon over the ribs.

Nutritional & Dietary Notes

Dairy-Free

There is no milk, cream, butter or cheese in this recipe. Richness comes from the meat, the cooking fat and the aromatics rather than from dairy, which makes it a comfortable choice for anyone who is lactose intolerant or avoiding dairy altogether.

Gluten-Free

Every ingredient in this recipe is naturally free from wheat, barley and rye. If you are cooking for someone with coeliac disease, double-check any stock, sauce or spice blend you buy in, as gluten-containing thickeners and malt derivatives are common hidden additions in commercial products.

Keto

Carbohydrates are kept deliberately low here. The bulk of the energy in this dish comes from quality protein and natural fats, so it slots neatly into a ketogenic day without pushing you out of ketosis. If you are tracking closely, weigh any starchy vegetables and adjust the portion to suit your own daily carbohydrate target.

Featured HOTRO.ca Product

This recipe is built around Grass-Fed Beef Short Ribs from HOTRO.ca. We source premium BC-raised and ethically farmed meats and slow-simmered bone broth, so the quality of the core ingredient does most of the work for you. Substituting a lesser product will change the result more than any other single change you could make to this recipe.

Grass-fed short ribs braised in red wine and bone broth until the meat slides off the bone.