Short ribs are my go-to red meat when I want to impress someone. With some time and love, they always come out tender and delicious. I usually make red wine braised short ribs but this time I wanted to do something different. We always drink red wine with red meat but who says you can't cook red meat with white wine? I decided to give it a go and you know what? These white wine braised short ribs were even more delicious than the original version. Finished with a bright lemon herb sauce and served with tangy creamy sour cream mashed potatoes, this is one dinner that will surely impress anyone.

Recipe

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White Wine Braised Short Ribs

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef

Servings: 2

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

White wine braised short ribs

• 2 ½ lb short ribs
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoon oil divided
• 1 medium onion cut into large chunks
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup apple cider
• 1 ½ cup beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Lemon herb sauce

• ½ cup parsley chopped
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Sour cream mashed potatoes

• 2 lb yukon potatoes
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic minced
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• salt to taste

Instructions

• Season 2 ½ lb short ribs with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pot of your instant pot. Add the short ribs and sear until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the short ribs and set them aside.
• Add another 1 tablespoon oil in the pot and saute the chopped onion until translucent and softened, about 4 minutes. Add back the short ribs along with 4 smashed cloves of garlic, ½ cup white wine, ½ cup apple cider, 1 ½ cup beef broth, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs rosemary, 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Close the instant pot and set to pressure cook on high for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the lemon herb sauce. Combine ½ cup chopped parsley with the juice of ½ lemon, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and ½ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Make the sour cream mashed potatoes. Cut the Yukon potatoes into chunks and place them in a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes and season the water with salt. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
• Heat 1 cup milk with ¼ cup butter and 1 teaspoon minced garlic in a medium pot over low heat.
• Drain the potatoes and mash. Add the milk and butter mixture, mashing until the potatoes are smooth. Stir in ⅓ cup sour cream and season the potatoes with salt. Keep warm.
• Release the pressure from the instant pot. Spoon the mashed potatoes onto two plates and place the short ribs on top, spooning the sauce on top. Drizzle on the lemon herb sauce and serve immediately.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Ever since I bought an instant pot, it's the only way I braise meats. It cuts the cooking time in half and produces the most tender meat. If you don't have an instant pot, you can always use the oven.

Before we can start braising, we need to season the short ribs. Ideally, you want to season the short ribs with salt the night before and chill it in the fridge uncovered. The salt will draw out the moisture and will help produce a beautiful sear. But if you're like me and forget or are short on time, season the meat and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, gather the remaining ingredients. I used a couple of staple ingredients such as onions, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, and beef broth, but I also brought in apple cider, white balsamic vinegar, and of course, white wine. All of these ingredients will help flavor the meat and create a delicious gravy to go with it.

Sear the short ribs either in a saute pan or directly in the instant pot. Once browned, remove and saute the onions until softened. At this point, you can either throw everything in the instant pot and pressure cook on high for 1 hour or braise in the oven at 350 degrees for 2 - 2 ½ hours. You'll know when the short ribs are ready when the meat falls apart with little to no resistance.

While the short ribs are cooking, make the lemon herb sauce. Chop some fresh parsley, season it with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice and it sit for at least 30 minutes.

Next up, the sour cream mashed potatoes. If you never added sour cream to your mashed potatoes, you're missing out. It may sound weird but it makes the potatoes nice and creamy while adding just a slight tang to cut the heaviness.

Now pile on those mashed potatoes, top it with the white wine braised short ribs, drizzle on some of that cooking liquid, and serve with the lemon herb sauce. The short ribs on their own are already flavorful but the lemon herb sauce brightens up the dish. A decadent meal that is guaranteed to please anyone!

For more short rib inspiration check out these balsamic blood orange braised short ribs!