Guinness Braised Short Ribs

Just in time for St. Paddy’s Day, a recipe using dark roasted Guinness to braise meat. While some of us will be swilling pints of Guinness, some of us will be cooking with it. It’s a win-win for everyone.

I love bold flavors, so it’s a no-brainer that I would choose rich + earthy Guinness for this recipe.

BEFORE YOU DECIDE to make this recipe, however, let me just say:  these ribs like it long and slow. You cannot be in a rush else you will not meet peak satisfaction. A little TLC goes a loooong way with this meat.

The secret is braising. Braising is all about the low + slow. (Low heat + slow cooking.)

You are going to do a brown braise. That means browning the meat before adding the liquid. You’ll heat some oil in a lidded, heavy-bottomed pot (Dutch oven). When the oil starts to shimmer, brown your seasoned meat on all sides. Then remove it from the pot. Add the vegetables. Once they are soft and browned, deglaze the pot with the stout. Scrape up every one of those brown flavor bits. The acid in the stout releases the meat’s rich flavors.

It really boils down to this: some browning + some deglazing. Then voila! Turn them over to Mrs. Patmore and your kitchen staff (AKA your oven) while you binge-watch Netflix.

IF YOU HAVE TIME…make these ribs the day before you intend to serve them. While they are cooling in the fridge, the fat will solidify and you can spoon it off the top. When you are ready to serve them, stir the mustard into the sauce and heat up the short ribs. Yummm!

Serve these braised short ribs with mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, or Irish soda bread so your guests won’t have to use their tongues to lap up this unbelievable juice.

But if you do allow plate-licking at your table, I will not judge. After all, she who lives in a glass house shall not cast the first stone. 🙂

These ribs are gloriously tender + flavorful + aromatic. Leftovers make delicious sliders–if you have any leftover!

Before I close, I will leave you with the well-known Irish Blessing attributed to St. Patrick (but with an irreverent twist at the end).

May the road rise to meet you,
and the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm on your face
and the rains fall softly on your fields.
And until we meet again,
May you be in Heaven a full half hour
before the devil knows you’re dead.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

XXOO AB

NOTE:

• You don’t have to worry about the alcohol in this recipe. When beer is simmered or baked for 2.5 hours, it loses 95% of the alcohol content.  
• If you don’t have an oven safe pot, you can let these ribs simmer, covered, in a regular pot on the stove for 2.5–3 hours.

If you make these rich, succulent ribs, let me know how they turn out! Leave a comment below and tag #nakedepicurean in your Insta photos so we can celebrate together!

Guinness Braised Short Ribs

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
• S&P
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
• 2 medium carrots,  chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 16 ounces Guinness
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 5 sprigs thyme (plus more or garnish)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Chopped parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel.  Season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the short ribs on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. You may have to work with small batches. Remove browned short ribs. Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.

4. Lower the heat to medium.  Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and leek. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined.

5. Add the beer and beef broth. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the brown sugar, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Add the short ribs and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and transfer to the oven.

6. Cook the short ribs about 2.5–3 hours, until they are fork-tender.

7. Remove ribs from the Dutch oven. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Stir in the mustard. Reduce the sauce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Removing the excess fat as it rises to the surface.

8. Season with S&P.

If you do have the luxury of time, take advantage of it and start them a day early.Once the ribs have cooked, you will remove the pot from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Remove ribs from the liquid. Strain the juice from the pot through a sieve. Return the ribs to the sauce and refrigerate overnight. The next day, you can scrape the solidified fat from the surface. Remove the ribs and heat the sauce. Stir in the mustard and reduce the liquid to a thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Add the short ribs to the pan to reheat and garnish with parsley or thyme.