Beer Braised Short Ribs

About This Beef Short Ribs Recipe

You will be impressed by how easy this dish comes together relative to how immensely satisfying it tastes. The notes contributed to the braising liquid by a well chosen dark, roasty and sweetish ale help create very full-flavored juices. A fine example of cooking with beer.

Ingredients for Beer Braised Short Ribs

As a refresher the short ribs are part of the 'chuck' section of the animal, they are the first five rib bones and are quite short relative to the rest of the ribs, hence the name.

• beef short ribs - our recipe works perfectly with both bone-in, English cut short ribs AND boneless beef short ribs. 
• beer - It is all about the flavor it will impart so choose wisely. We recommend styles brewed with dark malts in the grain bill. The ale we used for this post is a smooth, sweet, rich porter ale with very robust roasty notes
• cooking oil, salt and pepper
• aromatics - you will need onion, garlic, celery, carrots
• thickeners - flour, tomato paste (optional, adds some acidity and depth, so consider using it)
• beef broth & brown sugar - to complete the flavor profile of the braising liquid
• herbs - bay leaf, thyme and sage are excellent choices
• mustard - optional if you decide to make a dark, 'sexy' gravy (Dijon recommended, to use as emulsifier in the gravy and a bit of corn starch to thicken the gravy)

Equipment

For best results use a braiser or a large Dutch oven or similar cast iron braising pot with lid and cook the short ribs in your oven. We are partial to and recommend this method. (If you don't have a braiser/large Dutch oven or similar you can use a deep, heavy roasting pan and cover it tightly (no moisture should escape) with heavy duty aluminum foil to simulate a lid, they will braise just fine).

Alternatively, you can use a large pan to perform the initial steps to the recipe and then transfer all the ingredients to a large slow cooker and cook them there. Consult the recipe card for details. 

How to Make Beer Braised Short Ribs

As a refresher - braising is a technique in which meat is first seared and then slowly cooked in a flavorful liquid, at low temperature.

Braising (aka pot roasting) is largely hands off, but you need to give it time to work its magic and reward you with juicy, flavor infused, fall-off the bone tender meat. 

• Start by giving the veggies a rough chop. Set them aside.
• Next generously season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Be sure to pat them dry first with a paper towel. 
• Brown the short ribs on all sides as shown above. Work in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan and move them to a plate. Set aside.
• Next, in the same pot/pan soften the roughly chopped veggies, about 5 minutes, and then add the tomato paste and flour and stir.
• Cook for a minute and deglaze the pan with the porter (or beer of your choice).
• Add the beef stock, the fresh herbs and bay leaf and stir in the brown sugar.

• Finally - add the short ribs back to the pan (right amidst the braising mixture you created), cover with a lid and place in the oven to cook low and slow until they become ultra tender. 

When are the Short Ribs Done? 

Doneness is determined solely by how tender the meat is.

Do not look for a certain internal temperature because even though the short ribs are technically cooked and food safe above 145 F, they will not yet be tender and succulent. Cook them until they are fall off the bone tender.

Test with a fork and if they feel soft and you can easily pull away a small piece and like what you see, who cares that the internal temp has gone up to 200 F?

In general, about two and a half to three hours of braising is required but there are many variables to consider - how much meat you have, the calibration of your oven, etc.

When they are done they will look like these below and the fat rendered during braising will float on top. Do not fear the fat.

What to Do After They Are Done

Once you have taken the short ribs out of the oven you need to carefully remove them from the pot and let them rest a bit.

Remember, they will be fall-apart tender at this point. Use kitchen tongues and place them on a large plate or cutting board with a lip (to collect juices).

You will then be able to work on removing the tendons and bones. See under recipe card. 

What to Do with the Braising Liquid

The braising liquid (which smells absolutely delightful by the way) is a precious flavor medley you can exploit further.

• With the help of a large spoon skim off and remove as much of the fat floating on top as you can.
• Scoop out the vegetables and discard them. 
• Next strain the braising liquid - set up a sieve over a sauce pan or other container and pour the liquid in through the sieve.

From there you have two options - you can make a gravy with the strained braising liquid or you can save it to use for something else. 

How to Reuse the Braising Liquid

If you choose to make a gravy, refer to the two easy steps in the recipe card on how to quickly prepare it.

Then place the short ribs (bones removed) back into the gravy liquid, warm them up over the stove or in the oven, garnish with a bit of fresh thyme or parsley and they are ready to serve family style or plate individually.

If you choose to save the braising liquid - freeze it in an air tight container or a gallon sized plastic bag and thaw it before you cook something else. 

IDEAS: Add the thawed liquid instead of beef stock the next time you braise short ribs, the layered flavors that will develop will be even deeper. This is tried and true - as a chef Chris regularly saves and freezes sizable containers of strained braising liquid at his restaurant to use next time. His braised ribs always receive praises for their incredible depth of flavor. Or you can use the reserved liquid to cook lentils or add it to chili or steak soups.

This time we made a luscious, deep colored, incredibly delicious gravy to smother the short ribs with. 

What to Serve with Beer Braised Short Ribs?

If you made a gravy - our top choice (and we think you will agree) is mashed potatoes, followed by rice.

If you decided against making a gravy and simply want to enjoy the moist, tender meat - shred it with a fork and you can use it to make tacos, sandwiches, nachos... 

How to Remove the Tendons and Bones from Braised Beef Short Ribs

It is much better etiquette to remove the tendons and bones before serving the ribs. 

Steady each rib by holding the top of the bone and slide a knife underneath the outer side of the tendon wrapped around the bone. 

Cut the tendon

Remove the bone by simply lifting if with the tongues (maybe also pressing the meat down gently with the knife). 

It will come off easily.

Next turn the meat over and gently pull on the tendon attached to the meat.

It will literally peel off without any effort on your part.