Pioneer Woman Short Ribs Recipe

Pioneer Woman Short Ribs — fall-apart tender, deeply savoury, and just a little bit fancy-feeling. Braised low and slow in wine, broth, and herbs till they collapse into richness. Honestly? This one’s perfect for lazy Sundays or impress-the-in-laws nights. Not gonna lie, takes a while — but the oven does the heavy lifting.

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Ingredients Needed

• 8 whole beef short ribs (bone in): meaty, rich, and perfect for slow braising.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: for seasoning every layer.
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour: helps brown the meat and slightly thicken the sauce.
• 6 pieces pancetta, diced: adds depth and saltiness. Bacon works in a pinch.
• 2 Tbsp olive oil: for searing and carrying flavour.
• 1 medium onion, diced: sweetens as it cooks down.
• 3 whole carrots, diced: adds earthiness and natural sugar.
• 2 shallots, finely minced: more mellow than onion — kinda fancy but worth it.
• 2 cups red or white wine: red’s richer, white’s brighter. Use what you’d drink.
• 2 cups beef or chicken broth: enough to almost cover the ribs.
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary

How To Make Pioneer Woman Short Ribs

Season & Dredge the Ribs:
Salt and pepper the ribs like you mean it. Then dredge them lightly in flour — not a cake coating, just a whisper. Set those beauties aside.

Crisp the Pancetta:
Get a Dutch oven going over medium heat. Toss in the pancetta, cook till crisp and the fat’s all melted. Scoop it out — leave the fat. Trust the fat.

Sear the Ribs:
Add olive oil to that glorious pancetta grease, crank the heat to high. Sear the ribs till they’re deeply browned on all sides, 45 sec-ish per side. Don’t crowd the pan. Remove and set aside. (And breathe. The kitchen smells mad already.)

Soften the Veg:
Drop heat to medium. Toss in onion, carrot, shallot. Stir, let them sweat for a minute or two. Pour in the wine and scrape up all the good brown bits — this is where the magic lives. Let it boil for 2 mins.

Build the Braise:
Pour in the broth, add a teaspoon of salt, loads of pepper. Taste it — yep, even before the meat goes in. Add more salt if needed. Gently nestle the ribs back into the pot. They should almost disappear under the liquid. Chuck in your herb sprigs whole.

Oven Time:
Lid on. Oven at 350°F. Braise for 2 hours. Then lower to 325°F and give it another 30–45 mins. You’ll know it’s ready when the meat basically waves the white flag and falls off the bone if you so much as look at it funny.

Rest & Skim:
Take it out. Let it rest, lid on, for 20 mins. Then skim off the fat floating on top. If you’ve got time, refrigerate and peel off the solid fat later — cleaner finish, but optional.

Serve:
Plop two ribs over creamy goat cheese polenta. Spoon over some of that winey, herby, pancetta-laced sauce. Don’t even pretend you’re not going back for more.

Recipe Tips

• If you’ve only got bacon, trim it and use it. Pancetta’s posh, bacon’s busy-week real.
• Don’t skip the searing step — it builds deep, deep flavour.
• Use red wine for richer sauce. White makes it lighter — still good.
• Serve with mashed spuds if polenta’s not your thing. Or just bread. Crusty, greedy bread.

How to Store & Reheat

• Room Temperature: Let cool max 2 hours, then refrigerate.
• Fridge: Keeps well in airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Freeze ribs and sauce together for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge, reheat gently in oven or stovetop till bubbling.

Nutrition Facts (Approx. per serving)

• Calories: 620
• Sodium: 540mg
• Protein: 38g
• Fat: 40g
• Carbs: 14g
• Fibre: 1g
• Sugar: 3g

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