Short Ribs: Bourbon Braised
Shared with me by: Ben (son)
Ben made these for us May 2025. They are amazingly delicious and so tender.
Serve on top of mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or cooked pasta and drizzle the sauce over.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbls. olive oil
- 6 bone-in beef short ribs, about 3 pounds
- 1-1/2 Tbls kosher salt, or more to taste (divided)
- 1 Tbls. olive oil
- 6 medium shallots, peeled and halved
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbls. tomato paste
- 3 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce
- 1-1/4 c. bourbon
- 2 Tbls. maple syrup
- 3 c. beef broth, plus more as needed
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut short ribs into pieces. Pat the short ribs dry and season them generously with salt.
In a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Sear the short ribs until browned on all sides, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Leave all the drippings from searing the ribs in the Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add in shallots, carrots, and a little more salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned and softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about 1 minute. Then add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and cook for another minute.
Add the bourbon and maple syrup; cook until reduced by half (3-4 minutes). Nestle the short ribs, then pour in the beef stock and add fresh thyme. The ribs should be covered with liquid halfway.
Cover with a lid, transfer into the oven and cook until the ribs are very tender (2 1/2 to 3 hours). Check the ribs after 2 hours.
Let the ribs rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.