Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes

I enjoy cooking at home, but I don’t consider myself a chef. I’m just someone who likes to put good food on the table. One of my favorite meals to make, especially when I want it to feel a little more special, is braised short ribs. They sound like something you’d order at a restaurant, but the truth is they aren’t that hard to make. If I can pull them off with my amateur skills, anyone can.

The key is giving them time. Short ribs need to be braised slowly until they become tender. While they’re in the oven, the house fills with the smell of onions, garlic, and red wine cooking down into a rich sauce. When it’s finally time to eat, the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce is perfect for spooning over mashed potatoes.

Here’s how I make them.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 30 minutes

• Cook Time: 3 hours

• Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs

• 4–5 lbs beef short ribs (bone-in, grassfed if you can)

• 2 tbsp olive oil or beef tallow

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 cups dry red wine

• 4 cups beef stock

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet)

• 4 tbsp butter

• ½ cup heavy cream or raw milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Pat the ribs dry and season them well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown the ribs on all sides. Remove and set aside.

3. Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook until soft. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for a couple of minutes.

4. Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits. Let it simmer for five minutes.

5. Return the ribs to the pot. Add the beef stock, herbs, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.

6. Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2½–3 hours until the meat is tender and nearly falling off the bone.

7. When done, remove the ribs and reduce the sauce on the stovetop if needed.

8. For the potatoes: boil peeled and cubed potatoes until soft. Drain, then mash with butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Serve the ribs over the mashed potatoes with plenty of sauce.

Cooking short ribs this way takes a little planning but not much skill. Most of the work is in the waiting, while the oven does its job. For me, meals like this show that you don’t need to be a professional to make food that feels rich, satisfying, and worth gathering around the table for.

If you’ve been searching for grassfed beef near you, our short ribs are raised on pasture here in Indiana and delivered straight to your door. A special dinner calls for special ingredients — and you can order our grassfed short ribs [here].