Beer Braised Short Ribs

These beer braised short ribs are slowly cooked in a flavorful sauce and fall right off the bone when they are finished cooking. This is the ultimate cozy Sunday meal and you will absolutely love them.

Braised Short Ribs in Beer

I love beef short ribs so much. I feel like they have become so popular on restaurant menus within the past 15 years. Every nice restaurant I have been to seems to make a version of it. And it is always so tempting to order it because who doesn’t love melty and delicious tender meat?

Beef short ribs come from the chuck portion of the cow. And one thing about chuck is that is is the BEST beef for slow cooking. I use chuck roast for my Slow Cooker Pulled Beef recipe, as well as my Stove Top Beef Stew. Chuck is the ultimate slow cooked meat, and these beef ribs are no different.

The art of slow cooking helps build layers of flavor in these beer braised short ribs! I start this recipe off with a mirepoix. A mirepoix is a combination of onion, carrot, and celery and is it the base for so many wonderful dishes. Then, I add some tomato paste and brown sugar, broth, and a strong dark malty beer. I used a beer named “Tightrope Walker” made by a local brewery “Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing“. Adding alcohol when you are cooking adds so much flavor but it also helps to break down the meat so that it becomes soft and tender. If you do not have beer, you can use wine or even root beer.

Beer Braised Short Ribs Dutch Oven

The total cook time for these Beer Braised Short Ribs is 3 hours at 300F. I love using my dutch oven to cook Short Ribs for two reasons. The first reason is that you can sear directly in the dutch oven. Before you slow cook a piece of meat like this, it is incredibly important to sear all of the sides first and get a nice crust. This ensures that the juices stay inside of the meat during the cooking process.

The second reason I love using my dutch oven is because it has a tightly fitting cover. This is important so that no steam escapes during the cooking process. You want all of the liquid to remain in your dutch oven because this is what helps make the short ribs so tender.

Substitutions

Beer – You can use red wine or root beer instead of beer. You should use the same amount of total liquid.

Mirepoix – If you are missing celery, it is ok. At the very least, you need onion, garlic, and a little bit of carrots for sweetness.

How To Make Beer Braised Short Ribs

EQUIPMENT

• Large Dutch Oven or Braiser

INGREDIENTS  

• 3 lbs Bone In Short Ribs
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2.5 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 large Onion diced
• 3 Carrots diced
• 2 stalks Celery diced
• 3 cloves Garlic minced
• 1.5 cups Beef Broth
• 16 oz Beer I used a Baltic Porter by Forgotten Boardwarl Brewing
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 4 sprigs Thyme
• 1 Bay Leaf

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat your oven to 300F
• Season short ribs with the salt and pepper on all sides
• Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven or braiser. Heat on medium high heat.
• Sear all sides of the short ribs in batches. This should take about 10 minutes. Once they are all seared, remove them from the pot and set them aside on a plate.
• Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium and let them cook until they start to brown.
• Then, add your brown sugar and tomato paste. Give it a good stir and add your broth and beer.
• Bring the pot to a boil, and then your short ribs back to the pot.
• Add some fresh thyme and a bay leaf, cover the pot, and then bake for 3 – 3 1/2 hours. I flipped my short ribs half way through the cooking process so that I could ensure both sides being fully submerged in liquid for some of the cooking time.