This is one of the easiest, and most delicious braised short rib recipes you're gonna come across...I promise.
The flavor combination of Maple syrup and Sriracha gives a nice, yet mild sweet-and-spicy flavor to the boneless ribs.
There's a little bit of sweet heat on these tender braised ribs and they are easy peasy with one-pan-clean-up!
Braised short ribs can be made on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or in a slow cooker.
You'll love this recipe!
You can use boneless pork ribs, boneless beef ribs, bone-in pork ribs or bone-in beef ribs for this easy recipe!
- Easy-to-make and easy-clean up!
- You determine the cooking method: slow cooker or Dutch oven works best. We wanna cook these delicious short ribs low and slow!
- Hearty, flavorful and delicious: the flavor combination is unbelievable!
Here's what you'll need!
This short ribs recipe uses beef or pork short ribs, maple syrup, beef broth, Sriracha chili sauce, barbeque sauce of your choice, dried marjoram or dried oregano, garlic powder (optional) and tomato paste. Add a teaspoon of salt and a little black pepper to the braising liquid.
If you don't have maple syrup, substitute with ½ cup of brown sugar.
You can add a teaspoon of onion powder if you prefer, but I've found the bbq sauce usually has enough of this seasonings in it...
How to make country ribs
Not much to say here...put all the ingredients in the slow cooker or Dutch oven, whisk it together, add the ribs, and cook covered about 4-6 hours until the ribs are tender. Make sure the ribs are in a single layer and you have enough liquid to cover the ribs.
What to serve with country ribs
I usually serve these with smoked Gouda grits and so I've included that in the recipe card below. Other side dishes are scalloped or creamy mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, potato cakes or coleslaw.
Recipe FAQ
Different grocers often label short ribs as "country" style ribs as Boneless Country Style, Country Style or Chuck Ribs. You may also come across "flanken style" ribs or "english style short ribs" in the grocery store.
The primary difference between short ribs and flanken or english ribs is in the cut. You can use these kinds of rib cuts, too...the important thing to get it ribs that have short sections of bone, if you decide to use bone - in ribs. You can use boneless ribs, but the rib bone itself gives the sweet and savory liquid a nice flavor.
Short ribs are a cut of beef or pork rib meat that comes from the chuck, or shoulder area of the pig or cow.
Sometimes they include the "bone", (which is technically the shoulder blade) or they're boneless. Short ribs (or country ribs) are generally tough cuts of meat due to the tough connective tissue.
For best results, (and the best way to ensure tender ribs) is to use enough braising liquid, cook on low heat in a slow cooker or large Dutch oven- either cooking method works beautifully!
Sriracha sauce, also known as "rooster sauce" is a hot chili sauce supposedly developed in Sri Racha, Thailand. It is a red pepper sauce that ranks between 1,000-2,500 SHU (Scoville Heat Units) on the Scoville Heat Index.
To give you an idea of the degree of heat, Tabasco sauce ranks on the SHU between 2,500-5,000 on the Scoville index.
You'll usually find Sriracha sauce on the International or Asian aisle at your grocery store.
No. It is not necessary to brown short ribs before braising. Typically, you brown meats that are already tender to trap in the moisture; however, since short ribs are not a tender cut, browning them first won't do any good.
Recipe tips
If you want a "rib" presentation on your plate, use tongs and gently remove the ribs and plate it; if you're serving a larger group, cut the ribs into bite-sized pieces then plate
8 ribs feeds 2-3 people, depending upon whom you're feeding! At our house, I serve these sweet heat country ribs with maple baked beans and potato cakes, and it's just enough for the three of us.
If you're in a quandary about how many packages to buy, buy two; you can always reheat or shred the rib meat and make sandwiches...plus that, most men I know will eat at least 3 of these meaty ribs!
Braised short ribs are a great way to enjoy bone-tender, finger lickin' barbecue ribs when it's too hot to grill or when you just need a big dose of comfort food!
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If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and comment below! I love to hear from you!
Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
Braising Liquid
- 3 lbs. short ribs
- 4 cups beef stock or beef broth; See Recipe Notes - Beef Broth
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce also known as rooster sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce use your favorite kind
- 3 oz. tomato paste
- ½ cup maple syrup See Recipe Notes - Substitutions
- 1 tablespoon marjoram See Recipe Notes- Substitutions
- 1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder (optional)
Gouda Grits
- 1 cup grits
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 oz. Gouda cheese shredded
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in slow cooker or Dutch oven4 cups beef stock, 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, 1 cup barbecue sauce, 3 oz. tomato paste, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
- Place ribs into baking dish in a single layer; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours (make sure the ribs are almost totally covered with liquid) See recipe notes below3 lbs. short ribs
Grit Preparation (makes 4 servings)
- Shred cheese and set aside6 oz. Gouda cheese
- Bring 2 cups of water to boil
- Add 1 cup quick cooking grits (not instant grits) to boiling water1 cup grits
- Add 1 cup of cream to grits; combine well1 cup heavy cream
- Add shredded Gouda cheese; stir well; season to taste with salt and pepper; reduce heat to simmer and cover until ready to serve6 oz. Gouda cheese, salt and pepper
Notes
- This recipe is based on 3 lbs. of boneless country ribs, which is about 8 ribs. If you use more ribs, add more broth--enough to cover the ribs in the cooker.
- Got questions or comments? Leave a comment on the webpage!
I'd love to hear from you!