Red wine Braised Short Ribs served with Crispy Pierogis. Hunks of rich bone on short ribs that are incredibly tender and simmered in a rich luscious red wine braise with deep caramelized flavours and fresh herbs that’s spooned over homemade pan-fried pierogis stuffed with potatoes, cheese and chives. 

This meal is super comforting and warming. It has some classic low and slow braised meat flavours and ingredients that all come together in one pot. Similar to a pot roast, or beef bourguignon where the use of carrots, celery, onions and garlic make a mirepoix base that’s cooked until the vegetables are tender and the use of tomato paste, red wine and beef stock come in to form the braising liquid. This is what I would consider to be base ingredients for these types of meals, from there you can add your own twist and enhance your dish with spices, different types of wines with a specific profile (sweet, spicy, heavy or light) I also added bacon to add a more meaty flavour and make it more savoury. Searing the meat or browning before hand is also key in getting those deeper flavours and it also helps the meat from drying out and allows it to soak up the braise better. Some other ingredients I would recommend would be Worcestershire sauce which helps to boost that umami or even brown sugar to give it more sweetness. 

 This is the meal to make if you want restaurant-quality food at home with a little less effort. All the work is upfront and everything comes together over the slow braise period which is roughly 2-3 hours. This is a meal that anyone and everyone can make. It’s a great special occasion meal, great for holidays or smaller groups of 6, and date night. The leftovers are also to die for and unbelievably good. It’s also a lazy Sunday type of meal if you’re used to eating something that’s more comforting. 

THE PROCESS

I always like to start by getting all the ingredients ready. From chopping the vegetables, slicing the bacon to seasoning the short ribs. This makes the process move along much quicker and a smoother execution. For this recipe I stuck to a Dutch oven and took it from the stovetop to finish in the oven. I always like to finish in the oven because I find the taste to be so much better. This can easily be made in the crockpot by pre-cooking the bacon and searing the meat. I would also probably cook the onions a little before adding to the crockpot. 

1. Season the short ribs with some salt and pepper. Leave all the fat because it helps to keep them moist and adds flavour to the dish.
2. Cook the bacon and sear the short ribs in the same pot. The bacon fat will help brown the ribs.
3. Once the ribs are nicely browned all over, you may need to do this in steps if they don’t all fit in the pot, it’s a matter of adding the vegetables and cooking them until tender before adding any liquid. 
4. One whole bottle of wine into the pot! I know it’s a sacrifice but so worth it. Buy a second bottle to enjoy with dinner. 

WHAT IS BRAISING?

typically the meat is first browned at a higher heat, then simmered in a covered pot in cooking liquid. It helps break down the fibers and proteins making them better to digest and once browned, it’s simmered low and slow to develop the flavours by submerging in liquid to tenderize the meat where it’s falling off the bone. This is definitely one of my most preferred methods of cooking. It’s hard to beat the taste of a well prepared dish where the meat just melts in your mouth. When I think of comforting, beefy, rich, warm- this is what pops in my head. 

SHORT RIBS

Short ribs have become super popular these past couple of years. Now widely seen and already prepared and cut by butchers and on the shelf of the meat isles. Their popularity has also boosted the price. Which makes this meal an occasional meal rather than a weekly meal. It’s too bad.. maybe the prices will go down?! Short ribs are very nice pieces of meat in terms of beautiful marbling throughout each cut. Some do have larger fat caps on the ends. I like to get short ribs that are bone-in because it makes them so much more appealing and makes for a beautiful presentation. I also plan for 1 short rib per person. 

PIEROGIS

I chose to make some homemade pierogis this time around but store bought is just fine. If you prefer to serve this with some roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes or another side of choice that is completely up to you! I find the pierogis make for a fun alternative to your typical potato side dish and make this super fun and playful. Who doesn’t love pierogis. Their crispy, and cheesy and will hold well in the sauce. If you make your own pierogis and the short ribs , it does become a full day in the kitchen. Of course the pierogis could be made ahead and kept frozen. The recipe makes roughly 60 or just over that depending on how thick or thin the dough is rolled out which makes for a lot of cutting and folding. Making pierogis is probably a once a year thing for me and when I run out I  switch to frozen. Each time I make them it reminds me why it’s worth it to make your own. 

FINISHING TOUCHES

You’ll know that the ribs are ready if you gently grab one and check to see if the meat is falling off easily. If not, not to worry it just needs a little more time to cook. Do this in half hour increments. Once you’ve pulled the pot out of the oven, I like to pull some of the liquid out and thicken it to create a really nice sauce. This is done by adding the liquid into a saucepan and heating it on the stove. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to simmer. I’ll stir in about a tsp size of cornstarch to speed up the thickened. You can add more fresh herbs or salt and pepper if you feel like it could use extra taste. How I served this was by plating the pierogis adding a short rib on top and spooning the sauce overtop. Be sure to also include those carrots and bacon. finish with some sour cream, chopped chives and parsley for a pop of colour. 

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Print Recipe

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Crispy Pierogies

Red wine Braised Short Ribs served with Crispy Pierogis. Hunks of rich bone on short ribs that are incredibly tender and simmered in a rich luscious red wine braise with deep caramelized flavours and fresh herbs that's spooned over homemade pan-fried pierogis stuffed with potatoes, cheese and chives. 

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Additional Time40 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Mains

Servings: 6

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 2 lb beef short ribs with bone or 6 cut ribs
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 5 slices thick cut bacon roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 2 cups carrots roughly cut into rounds
• 3 celery ribs diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 bottle of red wine of choice
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• garnish: chives parsley, sour cream
• Pierogis:
• 3-4 large russet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 cup whole milk or cooking cream
• 2 TBS melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chives chopped
• salt and pepper
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBS melted butter
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 TBS olive oil

Instructions

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven or oven safe dish. Season short ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. When the oil is hot, add the chopped bacon let cook 1 minute. Sear ribs until browned on all sides. Do in batches if needed. Set ribs aside once browned.
• Add the onions to the pot with the bacon. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions have softened and become translucent.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Once the onions have softened, add the chopped carrots and celery. Continue to cook until they become tender. Roughly 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste into the pot and stir to coat. Sprinkle the flou overtop the mixture tossing to ensure everything is evenly coated. Pour in the full bottle of wine and the beef stock. Deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to get all the browned bits and caramelization off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a slow boil.
• Once it's boiling, add the short ribs along with bay leaves and fresh herbs. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2:30-3 hours until the meat is tender and falling off nicely.
• To make the sauce: remove some of the braising liquid from the pot and add to a saucepot. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Stir in 1 tsp of cornstarch and season with additional salt, pepper and herbs if needed. Stir occasionally until thickened.
• Homemade pierogis: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling cook the cubed potatoes until fork tender- roughly 20 minutes. Mash the potatoes using a hand held blender or mixer with the milk and melted butter. Season with salt, pepper and fold in the shredded cheddar cheese and chives to create the filling.
• To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, eggs, sour cream and oil. Mix until well combined. Mix in the flour and salt until just combined. Cover the Dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 3 inch circles and spoon 1 TBS of the filling into the centre. Brush the edges with cold water if needed and one half over pressing and sealing the edges. To ensure they are nicely sealed you can gently roll the edges in a bit of flour. Repeat until all the pierogis are made.
• Line each pierogi onto a large baking tray in a single layer. Dust the tray with a bit of flour to ensure they don't stick to the pan. Freeze for 30 minutes before cooking. Any extra pierogis can be stored in freezer bags once they've frozen on the tray. Store for up to 3 months.
• When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pierogis into the pot when boiling Boil for 3 minutes until they float to the top.
• To pan fry: once the pierogis have risen to the top, heat a large frying pan with 1 TBS oil and 1 TBS butter. Once it's hot, add the pierogis to the pan. Brown on both sides, flipping only once the bottom is nice and golden.
• To serve: layer pierogis, top with 1 short rib and spoon the thickened sauce overtop along with carrots and bacon from the pot. Finish by garnishing with chopped chives, parsley and some sour cream. Enjoy!