Tried a new method for braising short ribs and got a brick instead of butter

I decided to skip the traditional sear and go straight to the oven at 325°F with the ribs submerged in stock. After 4 hours they were tough and dry, not falling apart at all. Turns out skipping the sear meant no brown flavor, and the liquid never reduced right. Has anyone else had a shortcut that just backfired completely?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisab3215d agoMost Upvoted

Three hours is usually enough for short ribs, four can dry them out.

paulnguyen15d ago

Skipping the sear is like skipping the whole point of braising, a hard lesson.

william_craig715d ago

Nah, four hours won't dry out short ribs unless you're cranking the heat too high or not enough liquid in the pot. Low and slow at 300-325F for 3.5 to 4 hours is actually the sweet spot for most cuts, they get that buttery fall-apart texture without going mushy. The sear thing is totally right though, that browning is where all the deep flavor comes from before it hits the oven. If you skip that step you're basically boiling meat in broth, which is a waste of good short ribs. Gotta get that fond on the bottom of the pot too, that's the real magic.