When the weather turns cold, or life gets stressful, there’s nothing quite like comfort food to make you feel better. But who said comfort food has to be basic? Ina Garten has her favorite, and it might make you re-think comfort food can be.
What I love most about this recipe is that it’s surprisingly easy. Instead of standing over the stove, dodging splattering oil while searing short ribs, you can roast them in the oven instead. Less mess, same delicious results. As Ina would say, “How easy is that?”
Get the recipe: Ina Garten’s Wine-Braised Short Ribs
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What’s So Great About Ina Garten’s Wine-Braised Short Ribs?
This is one of those recipes that feels fancy but requires minimal effort. You can also make it a day ahead, which means it’s perfect for stress-free entertaining or for a wonderful Monday night meal when you just want to escape with a glass of wine and some good food without venturing to a restaurant.
When it’s time to serve, just reheat the short ribs while you roast some broccoli for a side dish or cook polenta to make the meal even cozier.
Related: I Tried Ina Garten’s Famous Chocolate Cake and It’s the Love of My Life
How to Make Ina Garten’s Wine-Braised Short Ribs
You can get the full recipe right here on the Parade site, but you’ll need bone-in beef short ribs, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, leeks, celery, yellow onions, carrots, garlic, dry red wine (such as Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or Chianti), unsalted beef stock, canned crushed tomatoes, Guinness and fresh thyme.
Start by preheating the oven to 425°. Place the short ribs on a sheet pan, brush with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 325°.
While the ribs are roasting, heat some olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, onions and carrots, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Pour in the red wine, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly. Then, add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, Guinness, thyme and more salt and pepper. Add the roasted short ribs to the pot, making sure to include any juices from the sheet pan.
Bring everything to a boil, cover the pot and place it in the oven for one hour. Then, uncover and continue cooking for another hour until the meat is fork-tender.
Once the short ribs are done, transfer them to a plate. Discard the thyme bundle and any bones that have separated from the meat. Simmer the sauce on the stovetop for about 20 minutes, skimming off any excess fat.
Return the short ribs to the pot, warm them through and adjust the seasoning if needed. Spoon the short ribs and sauce over grits, polenta or even mashed potatoes. Make sure to have extra sauce on the side because you’ll want to drizzle it over everything!
This dish is pure comfort food. The beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender, the sauce is rich and complex and the whole thing feels like a meal worth savoring, even on hectic days.
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