Balsamic Blood Orange Braised Short Ribs

Brighten up your dinner with balsamic blood orange braised short ribs with creamy mashed cauliflower and potato. Tender braised short ribs are swimming in a savory and bright citrus sauce making it perfect for any weeknight dinner.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Short ribs: A cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, or rib areas. They are known for their rich flavor and tenderness when cooked low and slow.
• Blood oranges: A variety of orange with a distinct reddish hue to its flesh. Blood oranges have a sweet-tart flavor with berry undertones. Regular oranges, such as navel oranges, can be used as a substitute. While they won't have the same reddish color, they will provide a citrusy flavor.
• Balsamic vinegar: A dark, sweet-sour vinegar originating from Italy, adding tartness to the short ribs. You can substitute it with red wine vinegar.
• Yukon potatoes: A type of waxy potato with a creamy texture, ideal for mashed dishes. You can use Russet potatoes for a fluffier mashed texture.
• Coconut cream: To give the creamy mashed cauliflower and potato the creamy texture while cutting on calories, use coconut cream. Alternatively, use heavy cream.
• Cream cheese: The dairy product adds a bit of richness to the mashed cauliflower and potato. If using heavy cream, you can omit the cream cheese.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: While short ribs works wonderfully for this recipe, you can experiment with other cuts like chuck roast or brisket.
• Spicy: If you want a spicy kick, add red chili flakes or Calabrian chilies to the braising liquid.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Sear short ribs

Whenever you make short ribs, the procedure is pretty much the same. This also applies to these balsamic blood orange braised short ribs. Season the ribs, sear them, and then braise in a liquid with aromatics.

For the best results, season the short ribs for at least 30 minutes before searing them. This way the salt will soak into the meat and give them more flavor. Although short ribs already have plenty of fat, add oil to the instant pot before searing. If you're planning on preparing this in the oven, heat the oil in a Dutch oven and sear the meat over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Braise short ribs

To take advantage of the citrus season, I decided to utilize blood oranges as one of the main flavor components of this dish. The bright citrus and acid from the balsamic vinegar will balance the fatty short ribs beautifully.

Add the aromatics and liquids to the pot and pressure cook for 1 hour. Alternatively, add the ingredients to the Dutch oven and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and continue to braise the short ribs in the oven at 325 degrees F for 2 ½ hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Step 3: The finishing touches

While the short ribs are cooking, make the creamy mashed cauliflower and potato. This is an optional side, but I think short ribs and mashed potatoes go hand in hand. To change it up, I decided to add cauliflower to the mash. Boil the vegetables and mash them with coconut cream and cream cheese. These may be odd ingredients, but both help make the mash oh-so-creamy. You can always opt for the traditional cream and butter, too.

Now it's time to finish the dish. Remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and discard the aromatics. Skim the fat or use a fat separator to remove as much of the oil as possible. Then, add a touch of sugar to the liquid and reduce it by half. You can either reduce it in the instant pot on the "saute" settings or on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Give the sauce a final seasoning of salt and pepper and drizzle it over the short ribs.

I gotta say, just by the smell, I knew these balsamic blood orange braised short ribs were going to be fantastic. It has to be one of the most flavorful short ribs I've ever had. The citrus, vinegar, and rosemary all play beautifully together to dress up those tender ribs. This is easily going on the menu every time blood oranges are in season!

If you're looking for a sweet treat featuring blood oranges, check out my blood orange walnut streusel muffins and carrot cake with blood orange curd!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The short ribs can be braised in advance and reheated before serving. This allows flavors to deepen for an even more exquisite dish.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

More short rib recipes

Looking for more dishes featuring short ribs? Try these:

Recipe

Print Recipe

Balsamic Blood Orange Braised Short Ribs

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Balsamic blood orange short ribs

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 pounds short ribs
• salt and pepper
• 1 red onion sliced
• 6 garlic cloves smashed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 tablespoon blood orange zest
• ½ cup blood orange juice
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Creamy mashed cauliflower and potato

• 1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets
• 2 pounds Yukon potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks
• ½ cup coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Generously season the short ribs with salt and pepper.
• Turn on the instant pot on the saute settings. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil until hot. Sear the short ribs until browned and caramelized on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the red onion, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, blood orange zest and juice, balsamic vinegar, and beef stock to the pot. Put on the lid and put on the pressure cook setting for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the creamy mashed cauliflower and potato. Put the vegetables in a large pot and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the water.
• Mash the vegetables with ½ cup coconut cream and 1 tablespoon cream cheese. Add extra coconut cream if the vegetables are too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
• Release the steam from the instant pot. Remove the short ribs and set them aside. Discard the aromatics and skim the fat. Turn on the saute settings and add 1 tablespoon sugar to the pot. Boil the braising liquid until it's reduced by about half, it should be slightly thickened.
• Portion the mashed cauliflower and potato into bowls and top with the short ribs. Ladle the sauce on top and finish with a sprinkling of sea salt. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you don't have an instant pot, you can also cook the short ribs in the oven. After searing the short ribs, combine all of the ingredients in a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot. Cover the pot and braise the short ribs in the oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours - 2 hours and 30 minutes or until tender.