Balsamic Braised Short Ribs
In this recipe from her debut cookbook, The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook, recipe developer and former private chef Meredith Hayden gives classic red wine–braised short ribs a mini makeover. She adds sweet brown sugar, tangy balsamic vinegar and lots of jammy shallots, then slow-cooks the meat until fork-tender. “What’s not to love?” says Meredith. Spooned over mashed potatoes or polenta, these warming ribs are just the thing for a holiday dinner or other winter gathering.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. (1 kg) boneless beef short ribs or 3 1/2 lb. (1.75 kg) bone-in short ribs
- Kosher salt
- 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 8 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) tomato paste
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) dry red wine, such as Chianti
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) beef stock
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbs. light brown sugar
- Leaves from 10 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 Tbs. crushed red pepper flakes
- Finely chopped fresh chives for serving
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 300°F (150°C).
To sear the short ribs, arrange the beef on a baking sheet, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt and a light dusting of flour, tapping off any excess.
Heat a large Dutch oven or other pot over medium-high heat, then add the vegetable oil. Working in batches, sear the beef until caramelized on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add more oil between batches if needed. Return the browned beef to the baking sheet and set aside.
Drain off any excess fat in the pot, leaving behind just enough oil to coat the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir the shallots and scrape up any browned beef bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste starts to caramelize and stick to the pot, 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour in the wine and use your spoon to scrape up more of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine has reduced by about two-thirds, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the stock, vinegar and brown sugar and stir to combine.
Braise the short ribs: Return the short ribs to the pot along with the thyme and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover tightly with a lid and carefully transfer the pot to the oven.
Cook until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 3 hours for boneless short ribs or 3 to 4 hours for bone-in. Garnish with chives and serve. Serves 6.
Hot Tip: Dusting the short ribs in flour will thicken the sauce as they cook; however, feel free to skip this step if you’re gluten free.
Adapted from The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook by Meredith Hayden (Ten Speed Press, 2025)
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