Fork tender, melt in your mouth beef short ribs drenched in a rich and flavorful sauce - but we're pressing the easy button with the pressure cooker! Instant pot braised short ribs are easy to make and come out restaurant quality.
Did you just become a restauranteur? I think so because these wine braised short ribs are so legit, you'll swear yourself they came from a fancy eatery.
The beef, my oh my, so melt in your mouth good. Still on the bone but there's no need for a knife. And the best part is we're throwing all our ingredients into the Instant Pot and forgetting about it for 45 minutes until it's done.
Beyond just the tender meat, the sauce is really what wins my heart over time after time. Truth, we save the extra sauce and use it on quick ramen throughout the week. It's rich and complex and super comforting.
There's something about when the weather turns chilly, windy, snowy, rainy - whatever the fall through spring season wants to throw at us - but there's something about it that always has me craving short rib. It is my ultimate feel-good food. Whether it's as bolognese sauce, braised in hearty stout beer, or subbed in for brisket in Korean tacos. It warms my soul from the belly out.
Here's what we're loving about this star-studded recipe:
- saving time without costing flavor using the Instant Pot
- super rich, tasty sauce
- uber tender, melty beef short ribs
- roasted garlic heaven
- multitask steam side dish while it cooks
Are you ready to win dinner? Let's do it.
WHAT ARE SHORT RIBS
Beef short ribs, also known as plate ribs, come from the breast bone area of the cow called the plate - hence the plate ribs.
It's the area near where the magic of chuck, brisket, and all those delicious cuts hail from so the meat is marbled with fat and flavor but the tougher nature of these rib cuts benefit from cooking in a liquid.
HOW TO COOK INSTANT POT BRAISED SHORT RIBS
Season. Sear. Saute. Sauce. Seal. Simmer.
You got all that, right? While this recipe requires a few different steps, fret not, they're simple and everything is done in the Instant Pot!
First and foremost, you'll want to roast your garlic. You're only using half a head of garlic so you can save the rest for delicious things like homemade bread or dipping oil.
If your short ribs are particularly fatty be sure to trim them before seasoning. If you're able to, trim and season them the night before cooking leaving them in the fridge uncovered overnight. The salt will work magic on the beef overnight. If you don't have the opportunity, don't sweat it.
Use the Instant Pot on the saute setting to heat the oil and sear the beef on all sides, then remove it to a plate. Saute the veggies before stirring in tomato paste to caramelize then build the sauce.
When you return the short ribs to the Instant Pot be sure to place them meat side down, rib side up. The liquid will cook that meat into soft, dreamy bites of goodness while imparting flavor. Seal the Instant Pot and cook 45 minutes on high pressure. When the cooking is done, let it naturally release pressure for about 10 minutes until the pressure valve goes down.
You also have the option of cooking some sweet potatoes simultaneously. Just place the trivet on top of the ribs and the sweet potatoes on top of that before closing the lid. That's it!
CAN YOU MAKE THIS IN ADVANCE?
Definitely. Making these instant pot braised short ribs in advance is a great option too if you'd like to cut down on some of the richness and fat. Just chill the short ribs and sauce overnight or at least for 6 hours. Long enough that the fat rises to the top and hardens. Then you can scoop it off before finishing the sauce.
FINISHING THE SAUCE
Could you be done at this point? Absolutely.
If you like a hearty, bite-sized veggie sauce, then go ahead and dig in. If you want a smooth, spoonable sauce we just have a few more steps.
Remove the short ribs to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Also remove any of the fresh herb stems you can find. Take about ½ cup of the liquid and stir the flour into it. This trick is great to prevent any lumps. Using a hand blender, blend the veggies and liquid into a smooth sauce with the instant pot on saute. Cook for about 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Alternatively, you can transfer it all to a conventional blender but be careful of the hot liquid!
That's it my friend. You're done. Let's serve up this deliciousness!
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Instant Pot Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 3 celery ribs (diced)
- ½ head roasted garlic or 3 raw cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups red wine
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Optional 3 medium sweet potatoes
Instructions
- Roast the garlic. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel of the papery outside layers and trim the very top of the head of garlic off. Place the head of garlic on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in the aluminum foil and cook for 40 minutes until the garlic is fork-tender. If opting for raw garlic, skip this step.
- Trim and season. Trim off any excess fat from the top of the short ribs. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Sear. Set the instant pot on 'saute' setting. Heat oil until it shimmers. Sear the short ribs for 3 minutes on all four sides. Remove the short ribs from the pan.
- Build the sauce. Add the carrots, onions, and celery to the pan and cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and roasted garlic until the vegetables are well coated with tomato paste. Deglaze with red wine and stir in the beef stock and herbs.
- Cook. Place the short ribs and any juices on the plate in the braising liquid, bone side up. Optional: set the trivet over the short ribs and place sweet potatoes on top to cook at the same time as the short ribs. Lock on the lid and set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Natural release for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid once the pressure valve has gone down.
- Finish the sauce. Remove the short ribs (and sweet potatoes) to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Set the instant pot to saute. Discard the herb stems. Transfer about ½ a cup of sauce to a small bowl and whisk in the flour, making sure there are no lumps then stir back into the sauce. Using a hand blender, blend the vegetables into the sauce or carefully transfer the vegetables and sauce to a blender to puree. Return to instant pot and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve. Plate the short ribs over vegetables and spoon generous amounts of sauce over the short ribs.
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