Beer Braised Short Ribs
Beer braised short ribs are the ultimate comfort food, with tender, pull-apart beef in a rich and flavorful sauce, served with buttery mashed potatoes.
Recipe sponsored by Go Bold With Butter.
We are at the height of cozy comfort food season, and I’m here for it! If I can’t have sunny flip-flop weather, then give me a blanket, book, and bowl of something satisfying and I’ll be content. These short ribs were the result a particularly bleak January day and it was the very pick-me-up we all needed.
The meat is so tender and delicious, but the sauce is really what makes this dish stand out. It starts with real butter as a foundation for flavor and richness, then add to that vegetables, beer, and beef broth. Give it a few hours in the oven to mix and mingle, then serve the short ribs with rich and creamy mashed potatoes for the ultimate satisfying meal.
How to Make Beer Braised Short Ribs
What you’ll need
- Bone-in beef short ribs. You can use boneless if that’s all you can find, but I recommend bone-in short ribs for better flavor.
- Butter for browning both the meat and veggies, and also for the mashed potatoes.
- Carrot
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Tomato paste
- Beer, preferably a lager or pilsner.
- Beef broth
- Bay leaf
- Fresh or dried rosemary, though I prefer fresh.
- Yukon/gold potatoes
- Milk or cream
Step 1: Brown meat and veggies
In a large oven-proof pot, sear short ribs in butter over the stove until browned on at least two sides. This can take several minutes, don’t rush it! The browned meat is how we kickstart the flavor in this dish.
Short ribs are ready to be flipped when they naturally release from the bottom of the pan. If they’re still sticking, give them more time.
Once the meat is seared, transfer it to a plate and set aside, and drain off any excess fat. Add more butter to the pan and cook the veggies until softened and the bottom of the pan starts to brown. Using butter to brown meat and vegetables instead of oil is a little secret to getting even more flavor into a dish. Just be sure to use medium-high heat so it doesn’t burn.
Step 2: Make the sauce and prep for the oven
Add the tomato paste, beef broth, bay leaf and rosemary to the vegetables, and stir until sauce is uniform. Add the short ribs back into the pot, nestling them into the sauce so they’re spaced evenly. Cover the pot with a lid or foil.
Step 3: Braise short ribs in the oven
The short ribs will take about 2 to 2 ½ hours to cook in a 375°F oven, depending on the size of the short ribs. You’re looking for beef that you can pull it apart with a fork and knife, but doesn’t need to be so tender that it’s completely fallen off the bone. Check after 2 hours and go from there.
Once short ribs are done, skim any excess fat that may have pooled on the surface of the sauce. The sauce will be chunky, but if you’d prefer it smooth you can remove the meat from the pot and use an immersion blender to blend it until smooth. I like the heartiness of the veggie chunks in the sauce, so I leave it as is.
Step 4: Serve with buttery mashed potatoes
The final step for these beer braised short ribs is to serve them with the best mashed potatoes, made with butter and real milk or cream. They’re rich and creamy (and maybe my favorite part of the meal, if I’m being honest). Get the potatoes cooking during the last 30 minutes of the short ribs cook time and everything should be ready all at once!
Add some mashed potatoes to a bowl or plate and then pile a few short ribs and sauce on top. Serve with beer, if you’d like, for a delicious pairing. And enjoy!
Other cozy meals to try this winter
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- One Pot Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
- Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Meatloaf and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
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Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
Short Ribs
- 3 lbs bone-in short ribs (about 8 short ribs)
- Salt and pepper , as needed for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 large carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- ½ onion
- 4 oz mushrooms (I prefer to use cremini or baby bella)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 ½ cup beer (one 12-oz can, preferably lager or pilsner)
- 1 cup beef broth , plus more as needed
- 1 sprig rosemary , chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lbs gold or yellow potatoes , peeled if desired and chopped in 1 inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon salt , plus more for salting the water
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
To make the short ribs:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place large oven-proof pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper and add to the pot.
- Cook short ribs until browned on at least 2 sides, which can take several minutes. Short ribs are ready to be flipped when they naturally release from the bottom of the pot. If they're still sticking, give them more time. When finished browning, transfer short ribs to a plate and set aside. Drain off any excess fat from the pot.
- While short ribs are browning, chop the carrot, celery, onion, mushroom and garlic. Use a knife for larger veggies and chunkier sauce. Or use a food processor to chop them smaller.
- Add remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce temperature to medium-low. Add all veggies and cook until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, beer, beef broth, rosemary and bay leaf and stir until mixed with the vegetables. Add short ribs back to the pot and cover with lid or foil.
- Cook short ribs for 2 - 2½ hours until meat is tender enough to pull apart with fork and knife, but not so tender that it falls off the bone. Check on it a few times, if short ribs are ever more than halfway out of the liquid, add more beef broth.
To make the mashed potatoes:
- During the last 30 minutes of the short rib cook time, prepare the mashed potatoes.
- Add potatoes to a pot of cold water and season generously with salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat slightly and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Add butter and milk or cream to pot along with the drained potatoes and mash until smooth. Add salt and pepper and taste, adding more seasoning as needed.
- Serve short ribs over mashed potatoes.
Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with Go Bold With Butter. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I love and believe in, which make Completely Delicious possible. All opinions are always 100% my own. To learn more about Go Bold With Butter, you can visit their website. You can also find them on facebook, instagram, and pinterest.
Thanks for sharing this mouth-watering recipe. I’ll trying to make this with potatoes like you did.
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I tried this at home and really, this was so Yummy!!
Yummy recipe. It really very tasty.
Wow, this looks really cool. I’m gonna try it this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
Really informative! Thanks for sharing.
This was extremely good with a butternut squash polenta! Yum.