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Pot Roast Short Ribs

These short ribs are heavily seasoned with delicious flavors and slow cooked in a braise with beef stock, onions, carrots, celery, etc. They taste like the cleanest, most tender "roast beef" you've ever had. Mouth watering. Mind blowing.

Before You Begin

I can fit ten short ribs in my 5-quart braiser. That's enough to feed 8-10 people if paired with noodles. The recipe works fine for as few as four short ribs without scaling anything, but you'll have extra dry rub left over.

Consider sourcing grass fed short ribs as they have a lot less fat. Don't worry - there is still plenty of fat - the short ribs are one of the fattiest parts of the cow. Going grass fed just makes it way more manageable.

Meat

  • 4-10 grass fed short ribs

Dry Rub (save whatever you don't use)

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika (mild, not spicy)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (optional – omit if your family hates spicy food)

Rub & Dry Brine Instructions:
Pat the ribs very dry with paper towels. Mix all rub ingredients together. Coat the ribs generously on all sides. Place uncovered on a wire rack set over a sheet pan (or directly on a tray) and refrigerate.

Dry Brine Timing:

  • Minimum: 4–6 hours
  • Ideal: Overnight (12–24 hours)
  • Maximum: Up to 2 nights (about 48 hours)

Braising Ingredients

  • 1–2 large sweet onions, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled & diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • beef tallow (for searing/sautéing)

Equipment

  • Large cast iron skillet for searing
  • 5-quart braiser with lid
  • Temperature probes (recommended)

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Morning Prep

Remove ribs from fridge and let sit at room temp for 30–45 minutes. Preheat oven to 275°F.
Cut up and prep all of the vegetables and ingredients that will go into the braise.

  1. Sear the Ribs

Heat cast iron skillet and sear ribs until they have a nice crust. Don't sear too hot or the sugar in the rub will burn. Set aside.

  1. Build the Braise

In the braiser over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of oil/tallow.
Sauté onion, carrot, and celery for 8–10 minutes until softened.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
Add red wine, scrape up all the fond, and simmer 2–3 minutes.
Add beef broth and bay leaves.
Nestle seared ribs into the liquid (aim for 1 to 1.5 inches of liquid depth — roughly halfway up the meat).

  1. Oven Braise

Cover and place in the 275°F oven.
Braise for 3-4 hours.

  • Target internal temp: 203–205°F in thickest part (away from bone).
  • Or use fork test: meat should pull easily from bone and shred with little resistance.
  • You are cooking by temperature, not time. I've seen it hit temperature in as little as 2 hours before, so keep an eye on it.
  1. Rest

Remove from oven. Keep covered and rest on the counter for a minimum of 30 minutes, maximum of 90 minutes, depending on where you are along with the rest of your cooking.

  1. Finish & Serve

Most people just want an entire short rib on their plate. You can shred, if desired, but I'd rather leave that to the guests.
Spoon some braising sauce over their plate.
I love to put already-cooked egg noodles into the pan (lid on) to marry into the sauce for 20-30 min.

Tips

  • The sweet-smoky rub and wine/tomato/garlic braise complement each other perfectly.
  • Smoked paprika adds depth with no heat. Leave out chili powder for the mildest version.
  • Do not ruin this delicious recipe by adding thyme or rosemary. Please.
  • Covered resting gives you flexibility if sides or guests run late.
  • Leftover sauce is excellent — toss with pasta or freeze.