Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs

Name: Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 4 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Australian

Add to recipe book

roubashahin.com.au

Mains

A bold spiced marinade, an overnight rest, and the oven does the rest — fall-apart short ribs worth the wait.

PREP TIME

20 minutes (plus overnight marinating)

COOK TIME

3 1⁄2–4 hours

SERVES

4-6

About this recipe

I’ve made beef short ribs before on the blog — my Beef Short Rib Buns are a firm favourite in this house, piled onto soft buns with a creamy slaw. But this recipe takes the same cut in a completely different direction. Instead of a quick braise, these beef short ribs get a proper overnight marinade — a bold mix of smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin and chargrilled capsicum — so the flavour has time to really work its way into the meat before it even sees the oven.

What’s more, it’s an easy recipe to prep and then walk away from. A few minutes blending the marinade, a quick sear the next day, and the oven takes care of the rest over three to four hours until the beef short ribs are fall-apart tender and ready to shred through that rich, thick sauce.

This one is brilliant served over creamy mashed potato, piled into flatbread, or spooned over rice — the sauce is thick enough to cling to whatever you serve it with. As a result, it’s one of those recipes that gives you a completely different meal from the same cut of meat you already know and love.

Ingredients

1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chargrilled capsicum or equivalent store bought
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1⁄2 cup passata sauce
1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 bunch coriander
3 cups water
2 kilograms beef short ribs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Notes from Rouba

Marinating overnight gives the best flavour, but if you’re short on time, 4 hours minimum still works well
Pat the marinade off before searing — a wet surface won’t brown properly
Keep the dish covered tightly while it bakes so the liquid doesn’t evaporate and dry the beef out
Use two forks to shred — they pull the meat apart more evenly than a knife
Serve over mashed potato, rice, or flatbread — the sauce is rich enough to be the star

Method

Step 1. Make the Marinade

Combine the onion, garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, cumin, onion salt, garlic powder, chargrilled capsicum, ground ginger, dijon mustard, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, passata, apple cider vinegar and coriander in a large jug or bowl and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Pour in the water and stir through.

Step 2. Marinate the Beef

Season the beef short ribs with salt and pepper and arrange in a large oven dish in a single layer, without piling the ribs on top of each other — choose a dish big enough that they sit comfortably. Pour the marinade over; it will evenly coat them. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

Step 3. Sear the Ribs and Roast

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional) (320°F).

Lift the ribs out, shake off the excess marinade back into the dish — the marinade stays in the dish the whole time. Heat a little oil in a hot frying pan and sear the ribs for 3– 5 minutes each side, until golden, then return them to that very same oven dish with the marinade.

Cover the dish tightly and bake for 3–4 hours, or until the ribs are tender and falling off the bone.

A FEW THINGS YOU'LL WANT TO KNOW

Can I use a different cut of beef?
Short ribs give the richest, most gelatinous sauce because of the bone and fat, but chuck or gravy beef works well too if you'd prefer a boneless option with a bigger shredded yield.

Do I have to sear the ribs before roasting?
It's optional. Searing adds a deeper, caramelised flavour, but the ribs will still turn out tender and delicious without it — the long slow roast is what does the real work.

What should I serve this with?
It's brilliant over creamy mashed potato, piled onto flatbread, or spooned over rice — the sauce is rich enough to carry whatever you pair it with.

Can I make this ahead?
The marinating is designed to be done ahead — season and marinate the ribs the night before, then sear and roast the next day so it's served hot and fresh straight from the oven.

Can I use a food processor instead of a hand blender?
Absolutely, either works well for blitzing the marinade smooth. I tend to reach for the hand blender myself — less to wash up afterwards!