co*ke Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much liquid do I need for braised short ribs? ›

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed.

This flavoursome fat and connective tissue means that beef short ribs need long, slow cooking in order to become tender. Once fully cooked, however, they are particularly soft - the meat can be easily pulled away from the bones with little effort and cut through with a spoon.

Believe it or not, it is possible to braise short ribs for too long. While you want the short ribs to be fall-apart tender, cooking them too long will result in ribs that are mushy.

Braising, which is actually slow simmering (after browning in a bit of oil or butter), brings irresistibly tender and boldly flavored results to this meaty cut of beef. Because short ribs require long, slow cooking for tenderness and flavor, braising is the perfect technique for cooking them.

Braising liquid is traditionally stock and wine; however, beer emphasizes other flavors in meats. Stock emphasizes the meat flavor, while wine and beer diversify the profile. Wine works in any braise, increasing depth, nuance and acidity.

Short ribs that are cooked completely submerged in liquid will come out with a thin, watery sauce, while those cooked in just a thin layer of liquid—enough to provide a moist environment under your Dutch oven's lid—will produce a rich, flavorful sauce.

You want liquid to come about a quarter and no higher than half way up the side of the meat. Because of the curvature of the dino ribs, we'll be cooking them on their sides, so they make a crescent in the pan. Then, of course, you must cook them.

Cook at 350°F for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to 325°F and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more. The ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to sit, lid on, for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Add bay leaves and thyme and bring up to a low simmer. Add a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour, remove from the oven and flip the short ribs over, add the lid back and cook in the oven for another 1 hour. After these two hour check the short ribs!!

Why are my braised short ribs tough? ›

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

If your ribs are chewy, you either forgot to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs or you didn't cook them long enough. If your ribs are dry, you likely cooked them too hot and fast.

Since ribs are pretty fatty and tough, many people will choose to boil their ribs to tenderize them - either parboiling for a short time or boiling for a longer time. This gets rid of some of the fat by rendering it out into the water, giving you a leaner rib.

Short Ribs & Braising:

You don't need any special equipment to braise ribs. First, brown or sear the ribs at a high temperature then cook them in liquid at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. This is an excellent cooking method for tougher cuts of meat that will become tender after prolonged cooking!

Since the ribs are fatty, many cooks choose to parboil spareribs for a short time or boil for an extended period of time to tenderize the rib meat. This renders some of the surface fat and makes it easier to remove the inner skin from the ribs before you grill them, too.

Add enough stock, wine, beer, and/or water to partially submerge the meat – about 1/3 to 1/2 of the meat should be under liquid. This is opposed to stewing in which the meat (usually smaller pieces) is completely covered by liquid for a long, slow cooking time.

Keep in mind the meat will release about a third of its weight in the form of fat and juice into the braising liquid as it cooks. Add only enough liquid to come halfway up the meat, no more.

The short ribs should not be submerged in the liquid, because then the liquid will just boil, which you don't want. Make sure the short ribs will be covered only halfway. If you feel the liquid is reducing too much, feel free to add more.

The braising liquid needs to fill the pan enough to cover most of the meat, which gives it time to break down the sinews and connective tissue. However, if you use too much liquid, you run the risk of diluting flavor and having a runny sauce.