I’m all about the elegant but oh so simple recipes these days. You know what I’m saying? I just don’t see the point in complicating things when we don’t need to. Instant pot braised beef short ribs sound a bit complicated, right? But trust me, it is easy, and you probably have all the necessary ingredients in your pantry. A few staple ingredients and you have a tender, flavorful cut of meat that will change your life.
But first, let’s talk about short ribs. One thing I think is a necessity here, is using bone-in short ribs. The bones provide a higher flavor content and also keep the juices locked in. The other importance is choosing great quality cuts. Grass-fed beef is best. And of course, make friends with your butcher ladies and gents. Trust me they are educators in their own right.
“Braising” can be intimidating and time-consuming. Usually, to braise a cut of meat, you are just roasting it at a low temperature for 1-5 hours depending on the size of the meat. Now, in the Instant Pot, we are cutting that time is more than half. But, with either technique, the end result is still spectacular.
Technique:
- Browning the meat: this is probably the most important part. We want to brown the meat in order to create a flavor base. It’s important to make sure the instant pot reads “HOT” before searing the meat. This will ensure the meat develops a beautiful brown crust. You also do not want to overcrowd the meat when searing. If you are using more than 1 pound of meat, sear them in batches. This way, the meat does not sweat.
- Adding more flavor with aromatic herbs and vegetables: the staple vegetables I use are onions, carrots, garlic, celery, and rosemary. These are just going to add more layers of flavor to the dish, and it’s a step you can not skip.
- Deglaze the pan: after sautéing the vegetables, you want to deglaze the pan with some type of braising liquid. In this case, I am going to use cranberry juice and beef broth. This is simply going to help us pick up all the delicious bits and pieces from the bottom of the instant pot. It’s important to make sure you don’t add too much liquid. You want just enough liquid to barely cover the meat. Because you don’t want to boil the meat or turn this into a stew, you want to add just enough liquid to keep the meat tender.
INSTANT POT BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS
WHOLE30 II PALEO
Now that we have tackled the technique, let’s talk about how to serve. You can serve this deliciousness over rice, pasta or alongside roasted potatoes/vegetables. Try our Sweet Potato Noodles or Lemon Garlic Hasselback Potatoes.
Let’s get cooking
Let’s get cooking
Instant Pot Braised Beef Short Ribs
Bone-in beef short ribs braised with aromatic root vegetables, cranberry juice, and beef broth.
Bone-in beef short ribs braised with aromatic root vegetables, cranberry juice, and beef broth.
Prep Time:5 mins
Cook Time:55 mins
Total Time:1 hr
Yields:4 Serves
1X
2X
3X
Ingredients
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2
tbsp. grass-fed ghee
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1
lb. grass-fed short ribs (4 ribs)
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salt and pepper
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1
onion (diced)
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1/2
lb. baby carrots (or 2 whole carrots cut into 1-inch pieces)
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2
small celery sticks (peeled and diced)
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2
garlic cloves (finely minced)
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1
rosemary sprig
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1/2
tsp. salt
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1/2
tsp. smoked paprika
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1/2
tsp. chili powder
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1/4
tsp. ground cumin
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1/4
cup cranberry juice
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1
1/2 cup organic beef broth
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1
bay leaf
Instructions
- To begin, select the “Sauté” option on the Instant Pot and click the adjust button to select “Normal”.
- Now, use a paper towel to pat the ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Wait for the Instant pot to read “HOT” and add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Sear the ribs for 5-7 minutes on one side. Then flip and sear for another 5 minutes. Now, remove the ribs from the Instant Pot and set aside.
- Add the other tablespoon of ghee and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and rosemary until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Now, add the salt, paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Stir and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. Now, deglaze the pan with the cranberry juice (be sure to scrape up all the delicious bits and pieces from the bottom of the Instant Pot). Then, add beef broth and bay leaf. Stir to combine and return the short ribs to Instant Pot. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, select “Meat/Stew”, and adjust the cook time to 25 minutes. When the time is up, let the instant go into “keep warm” for 10 minutes. Then, open the valve, remove the rest of the steam and carefully remove the lid.
- Now, transfer the ribs to a serving dish and tent with foil. Skim off some of the fat from the top of the braising liquid. Then, turn the instant pot back on to “Sauté” and simmer the sauce until it reduces to about half.
- Serve over rice or alongside roasted potatoes/vegetables.
I don’t have an instant pot. How can I cook this in the slow cooker or stovetop?
You can follow the same instructions given for the instant pot recipe just do everything on the stove in a Dutch oven. Then you can finish cooking in the oven 350°F for maybe an hour or until the ribs are falling off the bone.
Made tonight for our 2 year anniversary and only change I did was quadruple or so the garlic. Loved it! Wife couldn’t stop praising it 🙂 well done
YAS Tyrel!! Anniversary dinner approved! Thank you so much for sharing I am so glad you had a wonderful dinner! Happy Anniversary!