Braised Short Ribs Over Pappardelle

There’s nothing like the aroma of short ribs slow-cooking in the oven—it’s the kind of meal that feels special but is secretly low-maintenance. These braised short ribs are rich, hearty, and practically melt in your mouth. Paired with pappardelle noodles or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up all that velvety sauce, this dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for cozy nights or weekend entertaining.

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Start by selecting the meatiest short ribs you can find. (even meatier than seen below!) Generously salt and pepper on all sides.

Dice the veggies and set aside.

Start with a bit of olive oil in a Dutch oven warmed over medium heat. Add the short ribs and brown slowly. If, necessary, brown in batches and set aside, keeping warm. Remove from the pan, while completing the next steps.

Add the veggies slowly as they will spatter when added to the hot oil. If necessary, turn the heat down a bit to avoid burning the veggies. Stir and sauté until soft and the onion slightly translucent.

Add the tomato paste and stir until it coats the veggies a bit.

Next, add the red wine and stir some more. Using the spoon or wooden spoon, deglaze the bits off of the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has soaked up a bit add the beef broth.

Finally, add the tomatoes and the herbs to the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes.

Using tongs, gently add the short ribs back to the Dutch oven. They should be at least partially submerged. Note: as seen below, there was room to add 2-4 more ribs to this recipe.

Cover the Dutch oven and plce in the pre-heated oven set to 325. Braise for 2.5 to 3 hours. Check about an hour in to be sure the sauce is not bubbling too hard. If so, turn the heat down to 300 degrees.

For the last 30 minutes or so, remove the lid and let the sauce naturally thicken a bit. You may need to skim off the fat at this point. The short ribs are ready when the sauce is slightly thick and the meat is fork tender.

One serving suggestion: Serve over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over the top of all.

On this night we took the meat off of the bones and discarded the excess fat. Using two forks shred the meat into the sauce.

Served Over Pappardelle

Top with a bit of Parmesan cheese and serve in shallow bowls.

Two ways with one recipe. This will be a comfort food dish, you’ll want to make over and over.

Yield: 4-6

Author: Steve Hipskind

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Braised Short Ribs

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 3 H & 30 MTotal time: 3 H & 45 M

Ingredients

• 4-6 short ribs, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine (choose a robust red, like Cabernet or Merlot)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper.
2. In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat a bit of oil over medium-high heat. Sear each short rib until browned on all sides, then remove them from the pot and set aside.
3. n the same pot, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes until softened. Add a pinch of salt to bring out their flavor.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until it’s well incorporated and begins to deepen in color.
5. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, oregano, and bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot, ensuring they’re partially submerged.
7. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Braise for 2.5–3 hours, or until the ribs are very tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove the cover for about the last 30 minutes. (Note: depending on the fat content of your short rib, you may have to skim a bit of fat off the top near the end of the braise)
8. For serving, place 1-2 short ribs whole over pasta or mashed potatoes. Alternatively, you can remove the meat from the ribs (it will fall off the bones) and serve as a ragu over mashed potatoes or pasta. Enjoy!