Red Wine Braised Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
Sunday-braise flavor in 45 minutes at pressure.
Method · 10 steps
- 1
Pat short ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- 2
Set Instant Pot to SAUTE (high). Add olive oil. Sear short ribs in batches, 3 minutes per side, until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- 3
Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Saute 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- 4
Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute until it darkens a shade.
- 5
Pour in red wine and scrape every brown bit off the bottom with a wooden spoon — this deglaze is critical or the pot will trigger BURN when it pressurizes.
- 6
Simmer the wine 3-4 minutes until reduced by a third. Add beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme.
- 7
Return short ribs and any collected juices to the pot, bone-side up. Liquid should come about halfway up the ribs.
- 8
Cancel saute. Lock the lid, set valve to SEALING. Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 45 minutes. Total time is about 60 minutes including pressurize.
- 9
When cook time ends, let pressure NATURALLY RELEASE for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- 10
Transfer ribs to a plate. Skim fat from the sauce, discard bay leaves and thyme stems, and stir in balsamic vinegar. Spoon over the ribs.
Chef's notes
- →Natural release for a full 15 minutes — short ribs keep cooking as pressure drops and get more tender.
- →Deglaze with the wine until the bottom of the pot is smooth. Fond left behind will absolutely cause BURN on pressurize.
- →Sear in batches of 2-3 ribs — crowding the pot steams instead of browns.
Storage
Fridge 4 days. Freezer 3 months. Short ribs are even better the next day — the sauce gels and deepens.
