How would you like to make something that’s pretty darn easy, but looks impressive and tastes even better? Look no further than this one!
Balsamic-Brown Sugar Short Ribs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Potato masher
Ingredients
Short Ribs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 2 lb boneless short ribs
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic smashed
- ½ c red wine
- 2 c low-sodium beef broth
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1 by 3 inch strip of orange zest no pith
Potatoes
- 2 lbs red skin potatoes
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 Tbsp butter
- ½ c sour cream
- ¼ c milk
Instructions
- Adjusting oven rack to lower-middle position, preheat oven to 325° F. In a small bowl, mix together broth, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
- Coat a large Dutch oven with olive oil, and heat over high heat until shimmering. Season meat with salt and pepper.
- Working in batches to avoid over crowding, add short ribs and cook on one side without moving until well browned, about 4 minutes (if there is not enough room in the Dutch oven for all ribs, remove the first batch to a plate once the first side is browned, then add back to the pot when the second group of ribs has been browned and flipped). Flip short ribs and add onions and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until short ribs are browned on second side, and onions and garlic are softened but not completely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Add red wine to pan and bring to a boil, letting it simmer for a minute. Add the broth mixture, bay leaves, and orange zest. Return to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven to cook until the meat is fork-tender and sauce is rich and full of depth, about 2 ½ to 3 hours total, flipping meat once during cooking.
- During the second half of the meat cooking, bring potatoes and garlic to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Drain, then return to pot and add butter, milk, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash with potato masher or fork (it's okay to leave some lumps!).
- When short ribs are finished, discard bay leaves and orange zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Plate by placing a mound of mashed potatoes on each individual plate, then top with a short rib and sauce spooned over. Serve immediately.
Notes
I found this recipe back when I was stuck in a rut of ground beef meals – meatloaf, cottage pie, hamburgers, meatballs… At the time, anything that included wine was going to get a second look. This particular recipe had so many ingredients that at first it turned me off, but the garlic mashed potatoes turned me right back around.
In general, once you get all the ingredients together and prepped, you’re in the clear. Season and brown the meat, add the onion and garlic to soften, then throw all the other ingredients in before taking the whole works toward the oven for a long roast.
Typically, I make MM make the mashed potatoes, but since these are a little outside the norm – red potatoes, garlic, sour cream – I took the first pass. But since then, I’ve sweet talked MM into taking these over as well. He’s just better at judging how much more liquid needs to be added during the mashing process. Somehow, he’s never wrong.
Drives me nuts.
In any case, once it’s all done cooking, it’s all about the plating. If you don’t care that much, throw a couple scoops onto a plate and set the ribs on the side of them. If you have a couple people over, or if you’re just feeling a little special, put the potatoes on the middle of the plate, and gently place the short ribs on top with a lovely pour of the sauce on top.
You’re probably going to want to spice it up a bit with a green veggie or a salad on the side, but obviously, that’s not pictured here… 🙂
Such a GREAT meal! Enjoy!