Braised Beef Short Ribs

Why This Is Strictly Keto

Classic braised short ribs are often dredged in flour before searing to help thicken the pan sauce. This version skips the dredge entirely — the ribs go straight into the pot, and the sauce gets its body the old-fashioned way, by slow reduction. What’s left is bone-in beef, aromatic vegetables, broth and herbs: real, whole-food ingredients from start to finish, with the fat rendering out of the ribs themselves to make the sauce rich.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Instructions

1. Sear the ribs: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the ribs on all sides until deeply browned, about 8-10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

2. Build the base: Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

3. Deglaze: Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.

4. Braise: Return the ribs to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Add the beef broth, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary — the liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the ribs. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven.

5. Cook low and slow: Braise for 3 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.

6. Reduce and serve: Remove the ribs and skim excess fat from the surface of the sauce. Simmer the braising liquid on the stovetop 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly if needed. Discard the bay leaf, spoon the sauce and vegetables over the ribs, and serve.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Short ribs vary in fattiness — trim any large surface fat caps before searing so the sauce doesn’t end up greasy.
• The dish tastes even better the next day; refrigerate overnight and skim the solidified fat off the top before reheating.
• Serve over cauliflower mash or sautéed greens to soak up the sauce.