I love this recipe for cold winter date nights at home. Its better than stew and is actually gets better a day or two afterward, so its a perfect meal to make ahead and reheat later. If I’m having a dinner party or don’t want to be cooped up in the kitchen before my meal, this is a go-to recipe I turn to!

Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine

Ingredients

1-2 beef short ribs per person
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3/4 Cup chopped carrots (about 2 large)
1/2 Cup finely chopped celery (about 2)
1 Tbsp flour
2. 1/2 Cups red wine (see note below for suggestions)
3 Cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth (see note below if doubling recipe)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh oregano
a handful of fresh parsley (stems included)
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the short ribs to season. Place a large dutch oven on the stove over medium heat and add the olive or vegetable oil. When hot, add the short ribs, browning on each side for about 2-3 minutes. .Remove from pan when each short rib is browned on each side.
After removing the short ribs, add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. If there isn’t much liquid from the short ribs left, add a little more oil to coat the vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, then add 1/4 Cup of the wine (stand back, it may splatter). Stir to coat, then add the rest of the wine and the broth. Place the short ribs back in the pan along with all the herbs and garlic cloves.
Place pot in the preheated oven and cook until short ribs are tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Note: this dish gets better after a day or so because all of the flavors meld together even more. You can make this meal ahead of time and reheat on the stove when ready to eat.

Note: If serving this dish for a large crowd, just add a little more wine and broth to the pot so that there’s more sauce for everyone. No need to double or triple all the ingredients besides the short ribs per person.

Make it a Meal: Suggested Sides for Beef Short Ribs

Since this dish is saucy, I think it begs to be served on top of mashed potatoes (but that’s just me as I’m a potato fanatic). But you could also just serve this with crusty bread, couscous, polenta, mashed turnips…the options are endless. Since there are carrots and celery in this dish I normally don’t serve it with another vegetable, however a simple side salad would make a nice touch if you are having this for a dinner party. Don’t forget bread and butter on the side to mop up all the remaining sauce at the end!

How to Pair Wine With Short Ribs

Always have red wine with this dish (there’s red wine in the sauce for heaven’s sake!). As far as red wines go though, you have many options. I prefer a full-bodied red that can stand up to the heartiness of the short ribs. My favorite go-to is a red blend from Bordeaux (those will be Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot based). But I’ve also had fun with Syrah or Grenache blends from the Rhone Valley. This dish is fun to pair with wines from Europe because they offer an earthy, woodsy complement to the sauce. But if you want to keep things domestic, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Syrah from California or Washington will always be good too.

Which Wine to Use for the Short Rib Sauce

Cooking wines can be difficult to suggest, and the rule holds true that the better of a wine you use for a dish, the better the flavor of the dish will come out. However, I’ve been known to use red wines I’ve had open for a week in this dish and it still comes out tasting delicious. Above all, try to use a hearty, full-bodied red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah…whatever you have on hand. For a great value, try to find a dry red wine from Portugal or Chile—I’ve always found these to be great in and alongside dishes.