This blackberry Cabernet braised short rib recipe is simply exquisite! The sauce is smooth and rich with a touch of blackberry sweetness. It takes only about 30-40 minutes to prepare before you pop it in the oven, sit back, and allow the enchanting aromas to fill your entire home!
Blackberry Cabernet Braised Short Ribs
This recipe is made in a Dutch oven, but if you have a deep pan with an oven-safe lid, that will do just as well. Unlike many braised short rib recipes, I only braise for 2.5 hours, instead of 3. I find the meat is perfectly shreddable with that amount of time.
We’re also not using tomato paste or oil, which are fairly standard. I want the richness of the red wine and blackberry to really sing, and we’re going to use butter instead of oil! A whole stick! It makes the sauce smoother and silkier, and it tastes so much better.
I like to serve these short ribs over creamy polenta or baked mashed potatoes! I also love a rich green like Swiss chard or buttery, sautéd broccoli rabe to serve on the side.
Ingredient Notes
beef short ribs – You’ll use bone-in beef short ribs. Although I use 4 ribs in the photos of this recipe, you can use 6 and everything else in the recipe will be exactly the same.
butter – Use salted or unsalted. Any salt in the butter won’t be enough to make a difference in flavor.
cabernet – There’s no reason to go for an expensive wine. All the flavorings and reduction will “ruin” any fancy bottle of wine. I go for a $10 bottle, generally.
beef stock – You can substitute with vegetable stock, but the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
onion – I used red, but you can also use white.
blackberries – you can use fresh or frozen. Just be sure that if you use frozen, you include any juices that may release when thawing.
brown sugar – if you only have white sugar, it’s fine. It doesn’t make too much of a difference.
flour – Not pictured because it’s optional, but if you like a thicker sauce, be sure to have 1-2 tablespoons on hand.
How to Make Braised Short Ribs – Step by Step
1. First, dice 1 carrot, 1 large onion, 2 sticks of celery, and smash 4 large garlic cloves.
2. In a Dutch oven over a MEDIUM-HIGH flame, add 2 tbsp. butter, diced celery, onion and carrot (save the garlic). Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While vegetables sauté, paper towel-dry 6 short ribs. I only have 4 in my photos, but the recipe is exactly the same for 6.
4. Liberally sprinkle each side with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
5. Once vegetables are done sautéing, remove them into a bowl and set aside. Add 2 tbsp. butter to the pot and turn heat to HIGH. Sear short ribs on all sides, and remove.
6. Preheat oven to 325 F. (165 C.). Remove fat from pot (it’s ok if a few tablespoons are left, but you don’t want more than 2 tablespoons). Add 2 more tbsp. butter. Add 4 smashed garlic cloves and sauté on HIGH for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in full bottle of cabernet. Reduce wine for 10 minutes. You should have only about 1 cup of red wine once it’s reduced.
7. Add back sautéed vegetables and place short ribs bone-up in the pot. Pour in beef broth, just enough to cover the ribs. Add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary.
8. Cover the pot, place in the oven, and leave for 2½ hours.
9. After 2 or so hours, place 12 oz. blackberries and 1 tsp. brown sugar in a saucepan. Break up berries with a potato masher as best you can. Allow it to simmer and reduce for 10-15 minutes.
10. Pour over a mesh strainer, and push through reduction with a spoon to separate the seeds. Discard seeds.
11. Remove pot from oven, and remove short ribs into a bowl. In a separate bowl from the blackberry reduction, pour the pot over a strainer to separate sauce. Discard vegetables and herbs. Use a fat skimmer to remove all of the fat that has risen to the top, then combine with blackberry reduction.
12. Place sauce back into the dutch oven on the stove. Over a HIGH flame, reduce further for 10 minutes.
13. If you would like the sauce to be thicker, simply add 1-2 tbsp. flour to a small bowl. Add 3-4 tbsp. of the sauce to the bowl and stir. Make sure there are no lumps in the slurry.
14. Reduce heat, and pour the slurry into the pot. Carefully stir to thicken the sauce. Give it a taste and see if it could use a little more salt or pepper, but it should be just about perfect as is. Place ribs back in the pot to cover with sauce, and serve.
A Few Tips
To reheat, add short ribs and sauce to a pot with a lid. Add about ¼ cup beef broth or wine. Simmer on low with a lid for 10-12 minutes. You may need to add a little bit of salt, as it fades over time.
These short ribs will stay perfect when stored in a refrigerated container for at least 4 days.
The blackberry reduction won’t overly sweeten the sauce, in fact, it will add a bit of a “tang” to it. If it comes out a little too “tangy” for your taste, add just a tiny bit more brown sugar (I’m talking ¼ teaspoon), or a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.
For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest, tiktok, and Facebook! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!
A Few Recipes to Pair with This Entree
Blackberry Cabernet Braised Short Ribs
Equipment
- 1 cutting board and sharp knife
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 pair of tongs
- 1 potato masher
- 1 mesh strainer
- 3 large bowls
- 1 fat separator
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 8 tbsp. butter – salted or unsalted
- 1 bottle cabernet – 750ml
- 3 cups beef stock
- 4 large cloves garlic – smashed
- 2 sticks celery – diced
- 1 large carrot – diced
- 1 large onion – diced
- thyme – a few sprigs
- rosemary – a few sprigs
- 12 oz. blackberries
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. flour – optional
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over a MEDIUM-HIGH flame, add 2 tbsp. butter, diced celery, onion and carrot (save the garlic). Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While vegetables sauté, paper towel-dry 6 short ribs. Liberally sprinkle each side with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Once vegetables are done sautéing, remove them into a bowl and set aside. Add 2 tbsp. butter to the pot and turn heat to HIGH. Sear short ribs on all sides, and remove.
- Preheat oven to 325 F. (165 C.). Remove fat from pot (it’s ok if a few tablespoons are left, but you don’t want more than 2 tablespoons). Add 2 more tbsp. butter. Add 4 smashed garlic cloves and sauté on HIGH for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in full bottle of cabernet. Reduce wine for 10 minutes. You should have only about 1 cup of red wine once it’s reduced.
- Add back sautéed vegetables and place short ribs bone-up in the pot. Pour in beef broth, just enough to cover the ribs. Add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Cover the pot, place in the oven, and leave for 2½ hours.
- After 2 or so hours, place 12 oz. blackberries and 1 tsp. brown sugar in a saucepan. Break up berries with a potato masher as best you can. Allow it to simmer and reduce for 10-15 minutes. Pour over a mesh strainer, and push through reduction with a spoon to separate the seeds. Discard seeds.
- Remove pot from oven, and remove short ribs into a bowl. In a separate bowl from the blackberry reduction, pour the pot over a strainer to separate sauce. Discard vegetables and herbs. Use a fat separator to remove all of the fat that has risen to the top, then combine with blackberry reduction. Place sauce back into the dutch oven on the stove. Over a HIGH flame, reduce further for 10 minutes.
- If you would like the sauce to be thicker, simply add 1-2 tbsp. flour to a small bowl. Add 3-4 tbsp. of the sauce to the bowl and stir. Make sure there are no lumps in the slurry. Reduce heat, and pour the slurry into the pot. Carefully stir to thicken the sauce. Give it a taste and see if it could use a little more salt or pepper. Place ribs back in the pot to cover with sauce, and serve.
Jennifer Garlich
I was wondering if you think the sauce would be great served over Pork Tenderloin. I made it with the short ribs, which was amazing, but I I want to try it with a Pork Tenderloin for a dinner party.
Genevieve Morrison
I think it would be amazing. In fact, I think I’m going to do that at Christmas now. Thanks for the idea!
Anonymous
Hi, do you think I can make this for 10 person dinner or is that too complicated ?
Genevieve Morrison
That would be a LOT of short Ribs. This menu served 4, and the ribs filled my Dutch oven. You’d have to do it in batches, likely, and it would take you all day. Unless you have 2 Dutch ovens, I’d say it would be pretty labor intensive.
Ceylan
Hi! I’m hosting 10-12 people for dinner. Do you think this could be made with a chuck beef instead ? I don’t think I can fit 20 ribs or make in batches but this sounds delicious so I’m trying to find a way to make a bigger party version of it
Monica Sehgal
Can I make this in the slow cooker???
Genevieve Morrison
Yes, but the recipe would have different instructions. Give this one a try. https://thestayathomechef.com/slow-cooker-beef-short-ribs/
Donna Johnson
This was fabulous, and a great hit for Christmas dinner.
Genevieve Morrison
Thank you, Donna! So happy you enjoyed it!
Amanda
I’m really looking forward to trying this! I’m preparing it for 5 people at a “Witches Night In” dinner party, so I’m planning on making 10 ribs.. With the recipe being for 6 ribs, I’m wondering if I need to increase any of the other ingredients or do you think there is enough braising liquid/sauce as is to accommodate the additional meat? Thank you!
Genevieve Morrison
I’ve done it before, and you’ll want to add a bit more of a few of the ingredients. You’ll obviously use a bit more salt and pepper to season the extra ribs, and you’ll want to use 4 cups of beef stock instead of 3.
Amanda
Perfect! I also forgot to ask, do you think I should increase the cook time wide to the extra meat? Thanks for your help!
Genevieve Morrison
Not really. If you can fit them all in the pan for browning at the same time, then the time should be the same (otherwise, you’ll need to do them in batches). And when placed in the Dutch oven, that should be the same time too.
Andrea White
Are there really only 4 grams of protein per serving?
Genevieve Morrison
Wow. Not at all! I just double checked the calculation, and it looks like the calculator is basing that info off a small slice of short rib. A typical short rib will have 18 grams of protein. I’ll need to contact the creator of the calculator to help figure out how to fix that. Thank you!
Nicole Armstrong
What if you do not care for Cabernet ? I usually drink a much sweeter red wine . Any suggestions?
Genevieve Morrison
I can’t say for certain, but if you made this recipe with a sweet red wine, it may work well – but even if you don’t regularly drink Cabernet, I think you would still enjoy it in this recipe because reducing the Cabernet actually brings out some sweetness.
Samantha
Ah-mazing. Wonderfully tender, so rich and delicious. Thank you!
Genevieve Morrison
Yay! Thank you! So happy you liked it. It’s one of my favorite recipes 🙂