11 Fall-Off-The-Bone Short Ribs Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do short ribs get more tender the longer you cook them? ›

Like other tough cuts of meat, when slow cooked, short ribs break down and become incredibly tender and delicious.

Braising, which is actually slow simmering (after browning in a bit of oil or butter), brings irresistibly tender and boldly flavored results to this meaty cut of beef. Because short ribs require long, slow cooking for tenderness and flavor, braising is the perfect technique for cooking them.

Short ribs that are cooked completely submerged in liquid will come out with a thin, watery sauce, while those cooked in just a thin layer of liquid—enough to provide a moist environment under your Dutch oven's lid—will produce a rich, flavorful sauce.

Since ribs are pretty fatty and tough, many people will choose to boil their ribs to tenderize them - either parboiling for a short time or boiling for a longer time. This gets rid of some of the fat by rendering it out into the water, giving you a leaner rib.

Pressure-cooking is a fast, convenient way to tenderize tougher cuts of meat, like short ribs, relatively quickly. But following the cooking time and pressure level in the recipe is key to tender, moist short ribs.

The 321 Method for Ribs is a popular method of cooking ribs on the grill or in the oven. It involves prepping, seasoning and cooking the ribs slowly over low heat for three hours. The first two hours are devoted to preparing the rub and marinade, while the last hour is used to cook the ribs at a higher temperature.

Clean between each bone and on the ends. Flip ribs back over to trim the heavy fat off the top alongside the layer of silver skin. Once the majority of the fat and silver skin has been cleared from the top layer, you can now liberally apply a rub of your choosing to both sides – don't be shy.

Beef short ribs are done when the internal temperature of the ribs reaches around 200 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer like a Thermoworks MK4 Thermapen. At 225 degrees F plan on 6 hours of total time. If smoking at 250 degrees plan on 5 hours of total time.

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

Trim away the membrane on the underside of the ribs. Then place the ribs in a large bowl and cover them with marinade. Place the bowl in the fridge for 2-24 hours. Make a classic marinade by mixing vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce.

What is a natural meat tenderizer for ribs? ›

Add onion and garlic to the pot; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Return ribs to the pot; pour in beer while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pot. Pour in beef stock. Cover and simmer over low heat until ribs are very tender, about 2 hours.

Keep the lid on when braising meat, as it needs moist heat over a long period of time to break down the collagen and connective tissues for fork-tender results. "Pot covered, the ingredient you are braising gets continuously bathed in these steaming and simmering liquids, which the item flavors in turn," says Welsh.

Slow cooking is more forgiving than traditional braising in an oven, so it's difficult to overcook short ribs using this method. The longer the ribs cook, the more tender they become. At some point, they can become a bit mushy, but I've pushed the cooking time to 8 hours (on low) and they were still perfect!

Your goal is to get good color and caramelization on the outside of the ribs, but also to cook them long enough that the tough collagen breaks down and the meat becomes tender. Generally, the ribs will be browned before the meat is done, which is where the balancing act comes in.

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

Bake bone in short ribs in the oven at 275F for 3 ½ - 4 hours. Go the extra mile. 3 ½ hours may be perfect in your oven, but most ovens need 4 hours. Ribs are done when the meat is visibly pulling away from /shrinking from the bone and they are fork tender.

The best way to cook beef and pork ribs

We begin by slow cooking the ribs for eight hours at a low temperature to gently cook the meat all the way through without drying it out. This locks in the flavour and moisture for that melt-in-your mouth texture we all know and love.