Braised beef Short Ribs

In a pot on medium heat (or instant pot ‘sauté mode),  add some cooking oil then the sliced onions, cook until slightly browned

Rub salt and pepper onto the pieces of short rib then add to the pot and sear each sides for 2 minutes so that the meat is sealed

Optional: add the red wine into the pot and let it sizzle and reduce for a few minutes.

Separately, mix the stock cube with hot water

Pour the stock into the pot and close the lid to cook. Instant pot on high pressure cooker mode for 30 mins. Crock pot / cast iron on initially medium then low heat for 3 hours until it becomes soft and tender – usually the meat might separate itself and fall off the bone (remember to check in periodically and add a bit of water if needed as water evaporates much quicker using normal pots than pressure cookers).

Once done, remove the lid and let it simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes (sauté mode for instant pot) to reduce the broth and let it thicken

Optional: Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make the gravy, you can keep simmering until it’s fully reduced to a thick consistency or add a bit of corn flour or plain flour mixed with some water (about 1tsp of flour (5g) and 1 tbsp of water (15ml)) to help thicken.

Once done, it’s ready to serve! I paired this with some homemade creamy mash as well as some crispy kale (boiled/steamed then briefly put into the broiler for a few minutes) and pomegranate seeds for extra texture.

Tip: If you want to make ragu, add some passata or chopped tomatoes (I’d say 2 boxes which is ~ 800g-1kg) into the pot at step 5 before closing the lid to cook (adjust the amount accordingly to the size of your pot, mine can contain 6L)