Sticky Oven Braised Short Ribs

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 3 20

Total Time: 3 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 526kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Tender, flavorful short ribs braised in the oven then fried and sauced in a tangy sticky glaze

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Equipment

Ingredients

For the Braised Short Ribs

2 pounds English-cut bone in beef short ribs
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
2 large carrots
1 sweet yellow onion
8 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons avocado oil divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups beef broth or stock
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves

For the Sticky Pomegranate Sauce

½ cup pomegranate juice
¼ cup honey
1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep the Ingredients

Rub down short ribs with sea salt and black pepper, making sure to coat all sides of the meat, then set aside to rest and come to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
2 pounds English-cut bone in beef short ribs, 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
Meanwhile, cut the carrots into bite-sized pieces, dice the onion and mince or press the garlic. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
1 sweet yellow onion, 2 large carrots, 8 cloves garlic
Warm 2 tablespoon avocado oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat for about two minutes (should have a shimmering appearance and slide around easily when you move the pan).
4 tablespoons avocado oil
Add short ribs to pot and sear each side for about 2 minutes or until a brown crust develops.

Build the Flavor

Remove short ribs from pot and reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion, brown sugar, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, white pepper, smoked paprika, and a few pinches of salt and pepper, and cook until onion starts to turn translucent and is fragrant (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another minute.
1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Stir and scrape the pot to unstick any caramelized bits then add the short ribs and any of their juices back to the pot.
Add in beef broth, orange juice, worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves, then bring to a light boil (about 8 minutes).
2 cups beef broth, ½ cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 bay leaves
Braise the Ribs
Turn off heat, then carefully add carrots to Dutch oven around ribs and cover with lid. Transfer to middle rack of oven and cook for 3 hours or until meat is fall off the bone tender then remove from oven. (The short ribs should be nearly covered with liquid before braising. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to add more broth to achieve this.)
Scoop the carrots out of the pot with a slotted spoon and reserve the cooking liquid for later use.

Make the Glaze

Meanwhile, combine pomegranate juice, honey, worcestershire, and crushed red pepper to small saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Mix water and cornstarch together in a small bowl to create a slurry then stir the slurry into the pan.
½ cup pomegranate juice, ¼ cup honey, 1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Heat until bubbling (about 5 minutes) then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until it’s thickened and syrupy, then remove from heat. Taste test and add salt and pepper, as needed.
sea salt, black pepper

Finish the Ribs

Heat remaining two tablespoons of avocado oil in skillet over medium-high heat for about two minutes (should have a shimmering appearance and slide around the pan easily when you move the pan).
Use kitchen tongs to carefully place cooked short ribs into heated skillet and fry for about one minute per side (turn each rib twice to fry every side except the bony side) then remove from skillet. Grip the ribs firmly with tongs to move them from Dutch oven to frying skillet and while turning as the meat will be very tender and try to come off the bone.
Serve immediately with pomegranate glaze.

Notes

Preparation

Resting the meat allows it to come to room temperature, which is important for even cooking, and allows the seasonings and braising liquid to penetrate the meat better. Use the resting time to assemble and prep your remaining ingredients.

You can braise the ribs ahead of time as long as you store them correctly. But I don't recommend frying them or adding the sauce if you won't be eating right away. This is because once reheated, the crust that develops during frying will be softened with refrigeration.

Storage

Store the cooked short ribs in an airtight container with a bit of the braising liquid and refrigerate. They will keep for up to five days this way.

To freeze, place the short ribs and braising liquid into an airtight, freezer-safe container with as little air inside as possible. I recommend using a container that is just big enough to hold everything so that there's little to no space left between the food and the lid. The ribs will last for up to three months once frozen.

Leftovers Tips

Save the cooking liquid, aka pot liquor. It's full of flavor and can be used in soups, sauces, gravies, and more--similar to how you might use broth or stock.

We rarely have short rib leftovers but when that happens, I like to shred the beef from the bone and mix it up with the braising liquid to use in tacos or sandwiches or sliders! Or add to it pasta sauce and pasta for a delicious ragù.

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