These fantastic balsamic braised short ribs are another one of my family’s favorite meals. The subtle sweetness of the balsamic vinegar creates a uniquely delicious gravy when slow cooked along with the short ribs, red wine and beef broth. I pretty much always serve these over some creamy mashed potatoes because the combination is pretty much perfect.
I use boneless short ribs for this meal. You could also use bone in if you prefer, but you get a lot less meat in the end that way, so since I’m usually feeding 5 people I prefer boneless. You can adjust the amount of short ribs here to how many people you are serving. I usually use about 2.5 lbs for 5 of us. Adjust the amount of liquid accordingly too. You want the ribs to be mostly covered with liquid but they don’t need to be fully submerged.
This recipe doesn’t use a lot of ingredients, but it does take some time. You need to make it on a day where you have a few hours before dinner to cook the ribs. They need to cook slowly in a relatively low oven to achieve their amazing fall apart tenderness. You can also make them a day ahead and just reheat. They are actually even better after sitting in the fridge.
If you are looking for a meaty, hearty, sweet and savory meal for your family tonight, they will love balsamic braised short ribs over mashed potatoes.
Balsamic Braised Short Ribs + Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
For the short ribs:
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2.5 lbs boneless beef short ribs
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2-4 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 orange juiced
For potatoes:
- 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2-4 tbsp cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
Instructions
For the short ribs:
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a large Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to high heat. Season meat with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add short ribs and cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 4 minutes. Flip short ribs and add onions and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until short ribs are browned on second side and onions and garlic are softened but not completely browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Add red wine to pan. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for a minute before adding beef broth, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, Worcestershire, vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves, and orange juice. Return to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven to cook until meat is fork-tender and sauce is rich and full of depth, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total, flipping meat once during cooking.
- When short ribs are done cooking, discard bay leaves. Season salt to taste with salt and pepper. To plate, place a mound of mashed potatoes on each of four individual plates. Top with a short rib, and spoon with sauce. Serve immediately.
For potatoes:
- While the meat is cooking, bring potatoes and to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, return to pot and add butter, milk and cream. Season with salt and pepper, and mash with a potato masher or a fork.
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