Herb Braised Beef Short Ribs

Click here to download a printable PDF of the recipe.

When I made this on Monday, everyone at the table said, “the meat is really good, mom!”

Except for Farmhand Grace, who said not a word but devoured her short ribs before touching anything else - which basically says the same thing. 😋

💯 That’s five out of five resounding Yes votes of approval (because I voted, too).

I even got multiple “thank you for making dinner” declarations - with no prompting. Which is why I know you’re gonna love these short ribs, too. 💛

The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender with a rich, herb-infused flavor. MMMM. And the decadent herb sauce 🧄🌿– made right in the skillet as the ribs cook – is divine served over mashed potatoes and spooned over the ribs.

Despite the mouthwatering flavor, this recipe is also pretty darn easy.  Throw it together in in about 20 minutes – then waltz out the door to spend quality time in your garden, where you actually want to be. And it makes the house smell divine…

I have a secret 🤫 – I avoid most braised dishes like the plague.

They all start with pretty much a gazillion steps - searing the meat, then the vegetables, everything into and out of the pan, over and over, and I feel like I’m at the stove all day and every plate in the kitchen is dirty. Grrrr 🌧️ It’s probably not that bad, but that’s how I feel so I end up just throwing everything in the crockpot, raw and cold, and hoping for the best.

And yet I made this recipe, on purpose, and will make it again and again.

🎯 One pan. When something goes into the pan, it stays there. And the flavor-explosion sauce makes itself. Bliss.

The ribs have excellent flavor, made even more scrumptious when you spoon a bit of the reduced herb sauce over the top for serving. I highly suggest serving this with mashed potatoes, so you can use the remaining herb sauce like gravy. Serious flavor explosion.

Note about the cookware: I use a large cast iron skillet (12" for 4 ribs), because it’s what I’ve got. It doesn’t have a lid, so I use aluminum foil and do my best to crimp it over the edges (using pot holders so as not to get burned). This doesn’t make a very tight seal. If you have a Dutch oven or other cookware with a tight-fitting lid that keeps in the moisture better, you’ll probably end up with more liquid to your herb sauce at the end. 

Click here to download a printable PDF of the recipe.

Herb Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

1 or 2 packs One Straw Ranch beef short ribs

2 T avocado oil (or other high heat oil)

Salt

pepper

¼ C flour

1 medium onion, diced small

4-6 cloves garlic (about half a head), coarsely chopped

2 C water

2 bay leaves

3-4 small sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried leaves)

1 sprig fresh rosemary, broken in 2 or 3 pieces (or 1 tsp dried leaves)

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp salt

several generous grinds pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove short ribs from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking time. Salt generously, shake on some pepper, and allow to rest while you chop onions/garlic and assemble other ingredients.

Dredge short ribs in flour to lightly coat.

Heat large cast iron skillet (12" for 4 ribs) or Dutch oven over medium heat. Pour oil into pan and swirl to coat, adding more if needed. Using tongs, carefully place short ribs in pan, meaty side down. Allow to sear for 3-4 minutes, without disturbing, until browned.

Turn the short ribs over in the skillet.

Immediately add the diced onions, scattering them between (not on) the short ribs. Allow onions to cook while the short ribs brown on the second side, about 3-4 minutes, stirring a bit without disturbing the short ribs.

Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Sprinkle in ¼ tsp salt and several grinds of pepper.

Carefully pour in water, then add Worcestershire sauce and stir to distribute. Nestle bay leaves, thyme and rosemary into sauce, scattering around the pan.

Cover skillet with lid or aluminum foil (carefully using pot holders so you don’t get burned!).

Roast 3 hours, until short ribs are fork tender and beginning to fall off the bone, and herb sauce is reduced*.

Remove bay leaves and herb stems. Serve short ribs with a bit of the herb sauce – and use the sauce as gravy for mashed potatoes.

*For a loose-fitting lid like aluminum foil (which I use), the sauce will reduce more than for a tightly fitted lid.

Herb Braised Short Ribs ready for the oven:

Three hours later:

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