Tangy Sweet and Sour Braised Short Ribs are a delicious change from the traditional tomato/beef style.
These short ribs were so good I immediately bought some short ribs to have on hand in case I wanted to make them again- which I know I will be doing often!
What Makes This Recipe Special?
- This recipe is versatile - you can serve it with potatoes, noodles or rice. Anything to soak up that delicious sauce!
- Although the cook time is low and slow, it is only about 20 minutes hands-on prep time. Like most short rib recipes, it takes a lot of simmering to get to the fall-off-the-bone stage. That time also serves to infuse the meat with flavour and reduce the sauce to concentrate it.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Short ribs- There are different cuts of short ribs. Oriental grocery stores usually have the 'Flanken' or Korean rib style. They are thin and cut across several bones. English style is 1 bone with lots of meat, 4-6" long. Either cut will work in this recipe, so choose the amount of meat you want on your rib as your guide. If you are serving with other Asian dishes, you may want the thinner cut. If this recipe is the centerpiece of your meal, go for the more robust English cut.
- The other ingredients are pantry staples that you would typically have on hand.
How To Make Them
- You are going to brown the ribs, assemble your sauce ingredients, and cook low and slow.
- The recipe includes instructions for the oven or slow cooker.
- I recommend browning the ribs in a NON-stick pan over high heat so you will have some lovely caramelized browned bits to scrape up into the sauce.
- These ribs freeze well once cooled down. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and reheat gently in the oven for about 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through.
Suggested Menu
Sweet and Sour Braised Short Ribs
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots
Garlic Steamed Broccoli
Tropical Coconut Pound Cake
Wine Pairing
Sweet and sour is a tricky combination to pair for. As a rule the wine should be sweeter than the dish or it will seem astringent. For this, I would look for an off-dry wine - a robust Rosé would be good (if you can find a medium-bodied and off-dry one). An off-dry Viognier could work as well.
You might have some success with an off-dry Sparkling Rosé.
Red - even trickier. Dornfelder is from Rheinhessen or Pfalz regions and comes in a range of sweet to dry with blackberries and spiced herbs. Look for 'suss' as an indication of sweetness. Schiavo from Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy has cotton candy, rose and cinnamon traits.
You may also have success with a Rhone-style GSM blend, particularly one with caramelized notes in the description.
Related Recipes
Sweet and Sour Braised Short Ribs
Tangy and flavourful ribs in sauce. Brown your ribs and cook low and slow in a tangy sweet and sour sauce. Choose your oven or slow cooker to suit your schedule.
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Save Print Pin FacebookServings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Dutch oven (preferably NOT non-stick)
- Slow Cooker (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 ½ lbs beef short ribs
- 3 Tbsps vegetable oil
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 sprigs fresh
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh
- 2 Tbsps tomato paste can sub Ketchup
- ¼ cup white wine
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Make a bouquet garni with cloves, bay leaf and dried thyme and rosemary. (Tie them in a cheesecloth bundle so you can remove them later.) If using fresh herb you can just add and remove the sprigs as directed.
- Heat oil in an oven proof Dutch oven over high heat. Season both sides of ribs with salt and pepper. Sear ribs on both sides about 4 minutes per side. There should be dark bits on the ribs.
- Remove ribs to a platter. Add onions, bouquet garni (or fresh herbs), garlic and cook about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato past and cook another 2 minutes. Add vinegar and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the brown sugar and bring to a simmer.
- Add the wine, beef broth and black pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Cook 2 hours, then uncover and cook 30 minutes more. See Note below for Slow Cooker instructions.
- Bring Dutch oven to the stove top. Transfer ribs carefully to a platter. Remove the bouquet garni or fresh herb springs. Reduce sauce to about 1 cup.
- Serve ribs with sauce over mashed potatoes or broad egg noodles.
Notes
Slow Cooker Variation: Alternatively, once the meat and sauce come to a simmer, transfer to a slow cooker and cook 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. About 30 minutes before serving, dissolve 3 Tbsps of cornstarch in a cup of the sauce. (Shake vigorously in a covered jar until cornstarch is uniformly mixed in the juice). Return slurry to the slow cooker, stir well, and allow mixture to cook 30 minutes for the sauce to thicken.
To Freeze: Allow ribs to cool off and transfer to a freezer container. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until hot throughout.
Wine Pairing
Sweet and sour is a tricky combination to pair with. As a rule, the wine should be sweeter than the dish, or it will seem astringent. For this, I would look for an off-dry wine - a robust Rosé would be good (if you can find a medium-bodied and off-dry one). An off-dry Viognier could work as well.
You might have some success with an off-dry Sparkling Rosé.
Red - even trickier. Dornfelder is from the Rheinhessen or Pfalz regions and comes in a range of sweet to dry with blackberries and spiced herbs. Look for 'suss' as an indication of sweetness. Schiavo from Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy has cotton candy, rose, and cinnamon traits.
You may also have success with a Rhone-style GSM blend, particularly one with caramelized notes in the description.
Nutrition
Calories: 752kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 594mg | Potassium: 1618mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 7mg
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