Recipe: Braised beef short ribs with red wine, served with mashed potatoes, baby carrots and shallots

During a recent trip at the supermarket, I was browsing the meat department when I saw beef short ribs for sale. I think it was the first time I have seen it sold  in the supermarket and I liked how nicely marbled it was so I quickly grabbed it. 

Braised beef short ribs with red wine

Beautiful piece of English-cut beef short ribs ;)

Beef short ribs are best slow-cooked, so I decided to braise it in the oven with red wine and beef stock. Ideally, it should be cooked for about 2 hours until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bone. I also threw in some fresh rosemary and thyme from the garden. Once the short rib is ready, remove it from the pan and then thicken the sauce. I also added in the baby carrots and shallots at this point as I like them with a little more bite. To finish off the dish nicely, I made some mashed potatoes to soak up all the lovely sauce.

Our verdict? This is extremely delicious - the beef short ribs is tender with a wonderful gelatinous melt-in-the-mouth texture. I am hoping to see this cut more often at the supermarket so I can make it again! :)

Braised beef short ribs with red wine, served with mashed potatoes, baby carrots and shallots
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 1/2 hours
Serves 4


Ingredients
4 beef short ribs (about 350g each), fats trimmed
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 dried bay leaves

1 cup cooking red wine (or dry red wine)
1 cup beef stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp flour, mixed with 3 tbsp water to form paste

150g baby carrots (or 2 large carrots)
8 shallots or pearl onions, peeled
12 cherry tomatoes


For the mash
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick chunks (about 1 kg)
3-4 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp milk
Salt and white pepper


1. Preheat oven to 170°C.

2. In a large casserole, heat oil over medium high heat. Brown the ribs, two at a time, caramelizing them well on all sides. Once browned, remove and set aside.

3. Add the onions and cook for about 5-6 minutes, or lightly browned. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, red wine and beef stock and bring to the boil. Add the ribs back to the pan and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Place in preheated oven, with lid on, and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. The ribs are done when they're fork tender and falling off the bone.

5. Using a slotted spoon, remove the short ribs onto a plate. Skim off any excess oil and discard.

6. Next, we will want to reduce the sauce slightly to a thicker consistency. Place the casserole on the hob on medium low heat, then add the shallots and carrots. Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar and flour paste and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20-25 minutes.

7. Place cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil, and place in a 200°C oven and roast for 5 minutes.

8. For the mash, boil the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water, about 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with a potato press and mix the butter and milk in until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Hubby found a great new use for our Scrabble tags. ;)

I am linking this to Little Thumbs Up (July 2014: Potato) hosted by Jasline of Foodie Baker.

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates. Thanks :)