🥩 Braised Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary & Garlic

Serves: 4   
Prep time: 20 mins   
Cook time: 3–3½ hours
Skill level: Low effort, high reward. The oven does most of the work while you take the credit.

🧂 Ingredients

For the ribs:
1.2–1.5kg beef short ribs (bone-in)
Salt & black pepper
2 tbsp plain flour (optional, for dusting)
2 tbsp olive oil

For the braise:
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3–4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato purée
250ml red wine
500ml beef stock

To serve:
Creamy mash, polenta, or crusty bread to mop up the sauce

🔥 Method

1. Preheat and prep.
Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Pat the ribs dry and season generously. Dust with a little flour if you want a thicker sauce later.

2. Brown the ribs.
In a large ovenproof casserole dish, heat the oil. Sear the ribs on all sides until golden brown – do this in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.

3. Build the base.
In the same pan, add onion and carrots. Cook for 5–7 mins until soft. Add garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, and tomato purée. Stir for 1–2 mins until it smells like something worth writing home about.

4. Deglaze and simmer.
Pour in the wine and stir, scraping up all the good bits from the bottom. Let it reduce slightly, then add the stock. Nestle the ribs back in, cover with a lid, and bring to a gentle simmer.

5. Into the oven it goes.
Transfer to the oven and braise for 3–3½ hours. The ribs are done when they’re gloriously tender and the sauce has thickened to a glossy, rich consistency.

6. Serve and swoon.
Skim off excess fat if needed. Spoon over mash or polenta. Add sauce like you mean it. Apologise to no one for licking the plate.

💡 Little Tip
Make this a day ahead and reheat gently – the flavours deepen overnight and the meat somehow gets even more melt-in-the-mouth.