Seriously impressive comfort food! Bison {or beef} short ribs slowly simmered in red wine sauce infused with aromatics and fresh herbs, creating insanely tender ribs and the most delicious gravy. Serve over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes to create a show-stopping, cozy dinner that will have everyone raving. Instructions included for oven braising, slow cooker, and Instant Pot.
This post is sponsored by The Honest Bison, who I am so excited to partner with! The recipe, photographs, thoughts and opinions are all my own.
Braised short ribs are one of my favorite things to make throughout fall & winter, and they are especially perfect for the holidays. Even though braising short ribs sounds fancy and a little intimidating, it's actually super simple. This recipe requires minimal effort but is insanely flavorful, comforting, and super impressive. Once you give the recipe a try, you'll know what I mean. Serve these short ribs to your family and friends, and everyone will be raving!!
The flavor of these bison short ribs is nothing short of incredible! The aromatics and fresh herbs combined with red wine and beef broth add so much flavor to the ribs, while creating a delicious gravy at the same time! I like to add a few secret spices that really up the flavor making this recipe extra cozy and comforting.
The Honest Bison
I highly recommend bison for this recipe, but you can definitely substitute beef short ribs if need be. Bison has a rich, clean flavor that I love. It's also higher in protein and nutritionally superior to beef.
If you're looking to give bison a try, The Honest Bison has 100% grass-fed bison that you can order online, and it's shipped right to your door. I've now tried their bison and elk, and I really enjoy both! The Honest Bison also sells grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, and venison.
Why you'll love this recipe
Seriously amazing flavor. Not only does the red wine add a deep, rich flavor, but I also add a little bit of paprika, chili powder and cinnamon to create the ultimate cozy flavor.
Insanely tender short ribs. Cooking the ribs low and slow in delicious braising liquid is the key to the juiciest and most tender ribs.
Sure to impress. Braised short ribs are actually quite simple to make, but will surely impress anyone you make them for! Not only do they taste amazing, but the presentation is also beautiful.
Can be cooked in the oven, slow cooker or instant pot. Although I love to braise short ribs in the oven, they also turn out great in the slow cooker or instant pot.
Ingredients
- Bison short ribs (or beef ribs)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Tomato paste
- Smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- All-purpose flour
- Chili powder
- Dry red wine
- Beef broth
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fresh thyme (or dried thyme)
- Bay leaves
- Cinnamon sticks
- Carrots
- Mashed potatoes, for serving
How to make braised bison short ribs
Don't let the ingredient list or instructions intimidate you! This super simple recipe requires minimal hands-on time but results in the MOST flavorful and tender short ribs. Here is an overview.
- Prepare the bison short ribs. If your bison ribs have silverskin, I recommend cutting it away from the top of the ribs (the meaty part). This will ensure the ribs cook up nice and tender and will allow the braising liquid to penetrate the meat, ensuring maximum flavor.
- Brown the ribs. Sear the ribs in a hot pan with oil to create a deep brown crust on the meat. This adds tremendous flavor to the meat and takes less than 10 minutes.
- Prepare the braising liquid. This is the liquid that the meat will slow cook in. You will start by cooking some vegetables, then add tomato paste, flour, and seasoning. Next, you'll add your braising liquid and some herbs.
- Braise the ribs. Add the browned short ribs back to the pot along with carrots and cook low and slow in the oven until the meat is fork tender.
- Enjoy. Best served over mashed potatoes.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions.
Crockpot or slow cooker short ribs
Red wine braised bison short ribs can most definitely be prepared in the slow cooker, but it does require a little stovetop cooking first.
Follow the directions in the recipe card to prepare the short ribs, brown the short ribs, and prepare the braising liquid. Next, transfer the braising liquid to the slow cooker along with the browned short ribs and carrots.
Unless your slow cooker has a sauté feature, then you can actually prepare the entire recipe from start to finish in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Instant Pot short ribs
Using your Instant Pot’s sauté feature, the entire recipe can be prepared from start to finish in your Instant Pot. Please follow the steps in the recipe card below.
Cover & seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to the venting position to release any residual pressure.
Tips & Tricks
Frequently asked questions
Is there a substitution for red wine?
If you prefer, you can substitute more beef broth for the red wine. Keep in mind that the flavor profile will change slightly.
Cheap or expensive wine?
I do not use expensive wines when cooking, especially when using a large amount. Whether you use the cheapest red wine you can find or an expensive bottle, when it cooks down you will not be able to tell the difference... even The New York Times agrees.
What kind of red wine?
You want to use a full-bodied red wine, such as merlot.
What are bison short ribs?
Short ribs are a cut of bison taken from the rib area of bison. They consist of a short portion of the rib bone and the surrounding meat, which varies in thickness.
What do bison short ribs taste like?
When cooked properly, bison short ribs are incredibly tender and full of rich flavor. Bison tastes similar to beef, but cleaner and almost sweeter. It also has zero gamey flavor.
Are bison short ribs tender?
Yes! When cooked low and slow in braising liquid, the bison becomes fall off the bone tender.
Is bison better than beef?
Bison is leaner than beef and has a slightly cleaner taste. It has a rich kind of sweet flavor. I absolutely love the taste of bison.
Storage Instructions
Braised beef short ribs actually store incredibly well. Transfer cooled short ribs & red wine sauce to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat the short ribs with the red wine sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm. If needed, thin out the liquid with a little water or beef broth.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze, transfer cooled short ribs & red wine sauce to a freezer container (or divide it up between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions). Freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve, allow the short ribs to thaw in the freezer overnight. Reheat the short ribs with the red wine sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm. If the reheated sauce is too thin, let simmer on the stove until thickened to your liking. If the sauce is too thick, thin out the liquid with a little water or beef broth.
More recipes you'll love
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Red Wine Braised Bison Short Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bison short ribs (or beef ribs)
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to season the ribs
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to season the ribs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 medium carrots, cut into ¼-1/2 slices
- mashed potatoes, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the short ribs
- Start by cutting away any silverskin from the top of the bison ribs (the meaty side).
- Cut the short ribs into pieces with 1-2 bones. This makes the short ribs easier to work with and divides them into single portions. Pat the ribs dry with paper towel and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Brown the short ribs
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the ribs on both sides until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side, adding more oil if needed. Once browned, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Prepare the braising liquid
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add another tablespoon of olive oil, onion, garlic, celery, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions and celery begin to soften.
- Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then mix in the flour, paprika and chili powder and cook for another minute.
- While mixing, slowly pour in the red wine, then the beef broth. Add the apple cider vinegar, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks.
Braise the short ribs
- Add the carrots and browned short ribs to the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 - 3 ½ hours, or until the ribs are fork tender.
Serve
- Remove and discard the thyme, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Serve the ribs, carrots and gravy over mashed potatoes.
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Ellen S. says
I made this yesterday and it was delicious. The only thing I didn't have was the cinnamon sticks so I used about 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon. Was a perfect dinner on a very cold snowy evening in New Mexico. Thanks for the great recipe.