Take a bite of fork-tender sous vide short ribs are elevated with a rich, luscious red wine sauce for added flavor. The hands-off sous vide cooking method produces unbelievably tender beef that simply starts with a quick sear, then a 48-hour water bath, and finished with a decadent wine sauce before serving.

Ready for the Ultimate Sous Vide Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce?

Definitely! Our recipe for sous vide short ribs drenched in a luscious red wine sauce promises melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and a beef recipe that’ll elevate your home dining experience. Bust out the red wine, pull on your inner Julia Child, and follow our step-by-step recipe, and let’s create a masterpiece that’s savored in every bite.

A classic at fine dining establishments, when cooked properly, short ribs are an incredible cut that satisfies any craving. Sous vide recipes are our favorite way to transform tough cuts of meat into mouthwatering meals at home. For everything from perfectly cooked filet mignon steaks to delicious lamb shanks, the sous vide process is a cooking technique every home cook can master. Let’s break it down.

🥩 The Cut: What are short ribs?

One of our favorite cuts for slow braising, short ribs are a three to four-inch tough cut of meat from the plate area. Known as an English-style cut, these are sliced individually between the bones with thick, meaty pillows on top, unlike flanken short ribs, which are cut into thin strips through several ribs. Although you can find boneless short ribs, we often buy them with the bone still attached.

This area has a rich flavor but also, lots of fat and connective tissue. The best way to enjoy them is to allow the meat to cook low and slow, like braised short ribs, in the slow cooker, or smoking short ribs, for the tough fibers to break down and the meat to become tender. You can find this cut at most local grocery stores or order them online from our favorite places to buy meat online.

Ingredients

• Bone in short ribs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Steak seasoning spice blend – we love Jack Daniel’s Steak Seasoning for a great flavor.
• Oil – regular olive oil works or use a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil
• Onion, Celery, and Garlic
• Tomato Paste
• Red Wine
• Beef broth
• Bay leaves

How to make Short Ribs in the Sous Vide

Sous Vide the Short Ribs

• Remove the beef ribs from the package and pat them dry with paper towels. Season them liberally with salt, a sprinkle of pepper, and the steakhouse seasonings.
• Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the short ribs on all sides. Then, set them aside to cool for an hour before adding them to a vacuum seal bag. Use a vacuum sealer to seal the sous vide bag or remove as much air as you can if using a Ziplock bag.
• Set your sous vide machine to 145 degrees F. When the water bath has preheated, carefully lower the sealed vacuum bag of short ribs into the water, watching for leaks. Add a weight, if needed, to keep the bag submerged. Sous vide the ribs for 48 hours.

Make the red wine sauce

• Preheat the same cast iron pan the ribs were browned in over medium heat. Add the oil and saute the onions and celery until translucent and soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste to coat everything.
• Using a wooden spoon, carefully deglaze the pan by pouring in a little wine and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Add in the remaining wine slowly. Then add in the broth and bring everything to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat, add the bay leaves, and allow the sauce to simmer to thicken slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely before storing in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve the ribs.

Serve

• When you’re ready to serve the ribs, bring the red wine sauce to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Carefully remove the vacuum-sealed bag from the sous vide bath, cut off the top of the bag, and remove the ribs. Pour the juices into the red wine pan sauce and stir them into combine.
• Plate the fork-tender sous vide short ribs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spoon the red wine reduction sauce over the top, garnish with minced parsley, and serve immediately.

What to serve with this short rib recipe?

These short ribs have a steak-like texture and are perfect over creamy mashed potatoes, polenta, or risotto—the creaminess sops up the sauce and flavor of the beef. Mashed root veggies or cauliflower are a great low-carb alternative. On the side, try a green veggie like smoked Brussels sprouts or Brussels Sprouts au gratin or roasted green beans.