These veal short ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and packed with a flavor that is so rich and deep that it can't be beaten! They are dry brined, seared to perfection, and then braised in the oven before being topped off with a decadent homemade Marsala sauce! Once you try these short ribs, you'll never be able to eat them a different way again!
Braised Veal Short Ribs Recipe
If you haven't noticed by now, I absolutely love ribs. Pork or beef, baby back or short, smoked or air fried, dry rub or barbecue sauce - I love it all!
I'm always looking out for some tasty new rib recipes to try and these veal short ribs did not disappoint! They are melt-in-your-mouth tender and smothered in a decadent sauce that I can't get enough of!
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🥘 Ingredients For Veal Short Ribs
These ingredients are all just a short grocery trip away! Make sure you opt for using fresh herbs (as opposed to dried ones) as they really help to deepen the flavor!
- Veal Short Ribs - 2½ pounds of veal short ribs. You can leave your ribs portioned or cut them into individual ribs.
- Kosher Salt - ½ tablespoon of Kosher salt.
- Pepper - ¼ tablespoon of ground black pepper.
- Oil - ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, divided into 2 tablespoon portions.
- Shallot - 1 large, finely chopped shallot.
- Garlic - 4 cloves of garlic that have been crushed and then minced.
- Mushrooms - 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, quartered. These are also known as baby Bella mushrooms.
- Tomato Paste - ¼ cup of tomato paste.
- Marsala Wine - 1½ cups of dry Marsala wine.
- Beef Stock - 4 cups of beef or veal stock.
- Thyme - 2 sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Rosemary - 1 sprig of fresh rosemary.
- Bay Leaf - 1 bay leaf.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Veal Short Ribs
These ribs are dry-brined, seared, and then braised in a rich sauce for an amazing dish every time! To get started, you'll need a baking sheet to season the meat, a large Dutch oven (or an oven-safe pot), and a wooden spoon or spatula.
2½ pounds of short ribs are good for about 4 servings.
Prepare & Sear The Ribs
- Dry brine the ribs. Place 2½ pounds of bone-in veal short ribs onto a baking sheet and generously season both sides of the meat with ½ tablespoon of Kosher salt and ¼ tablespoon of pepper. Transfer the tray to the refrigerator and let them stand, uncovered, for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- Preheat. Get ready by preheating your oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Heat the oil. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed oven-safe pan and place it over high heat.
- Sear the meat. Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs to the pan and sear both sides until golden brown (working in batches if needed). Then, transfer them to a plate and set them aside.
Saute
- Saute the shallots. Clean the pan if desired, and add another 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add in 1 chopped shallot, sauteing it for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and mushrooms. Add in 4 cloves of minced garlic and 8 ounces of quartered mushrooms and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste. Next, add ¼ cup of tomato paste and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir until well-combined and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan. Add a splash of the marsala wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off of the bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then, pour in the remaining 1½ cups of marsala wine and bring the mixture to a low boil.
- Reduce. Allow the wine to reduce by half (about 10 minutes) and then place the veal short ribs back into the pan and pour in 4 cups of beef (or veal) stock.
- Add the herbs. Bring the liquid back up to a boil before adding in 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, and 1 bay leaf.
Bake
- Bake. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is fork tender and pulling away from the bone.
- Cover the ribs. Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the short ribs to a separate plate and cover them loosely with aluminum foil while you finish up the sauce.
Reduce The Sauce
- Simmer. Discard the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce. Reduce the sauce by ¼-⅓ more (depending on your desired thickness), Make sure to taste your sauce while it is reducing and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve. Once the sauce reaches your desired thickness, serve it over your short ribs. *You can place the short ribs back into the pan with the sauce to warm them up if needed.
These veal short ribs taste great with so many different side dishes! Try them with some yellow mashed potatoes or garlic green beans (or take a look at my post on what to serve with beef ribs)! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- You can leave your short ribs in portions, or cut them into individual ribs before cooking. It's up to you!
- I really believe that using bone-in ribs helps to enhance the flavor during cooking. However, you can always use boneless ribs, too! Just make sure to check them during cooking, as they may cook faster without the bone.
- Don't skip out on searing your ribs! This adds a ton of flavor to the meat and will give you the tastiest ribs possible!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Allow your short ribs to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating Veal Short Ribs
Cover and warm your ribs over low heat on the stovetop for 15-20 minutes. Additionally, you can pop them in the oven at 325°F (160°C) until heated through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Both beef and veal are cows. Veal is just a younger cow while beef is an older cow. When it comes to short ribs, veal short ribs have less meat and less fat, but they are very similar.
Nope! If you have enough liquid to completely submerge your ribs, then they would actually be boiled (which is not what we want). Instead, the ribs will only be submerged partially in order to be perfectly braised.
Technically, you could cook your short ribs without searing them. However, you would miss out on a ton of flavor! Searing the meat adds a lot of extra flavors that make the dish as good as it is. In short, I would say that yes, you have to sear the meat.
🍖 More Rib Recipes
- Crockpot BBQ Beef Short Ribs - These short ribs are coated in tangy BBQ sauce and prepared in your slow cooker!
- Air Fryer Boneless Country Style Beef Ribs - Making these boneless ribs in your air fryer is quick and simple!
- Baked Beef Back Ribs - Tasty beef ribs are coated in both a dry rub and barbecue sauce for an extra delicious meal!
- Smoked Babyback Ribs - Get your smoker ready and enjoy some of these classic, delicious ribs!
- Smoked St Louis Ribs - These juicy and tender ribs are always packed with a ton of flavor!
- BBQ Baked Pork Spare Ribs - Combine my homemade pork dry rub and your favorite barbecue sauce for some incredibly delicious pork ribs!
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📖 Recipe Card
Veal Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs veal short ribs (bone-in)
- ½ tablespoon Kosher salt
- ¼ tablespoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin, divided into 2 tablespoon portions)
- 1 large shallot (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed then minced)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms (baby Bella mushrooms, quartered)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1½ cups dry Marsala wine
- 4 cups beef stock (or veal stock)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prepare & Sear The Ribs
- Place your bone-in veal short ribs onto a baking sheet and generously season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Transfer the tray to the refrigerator and let them stand, uncovered, for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- Get ready by preheating your oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed oven-safe pan and place it over high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs to the pan and sear both sides until golden brown (working in batches if needed). Then, transfer them to a plate and set them aside.
Saute
- Clean the pan if desired, and add another 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add in the chopped shallot, sauteing it for 2 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic and quartered mushrooms and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the tomato paste and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir until well-combined and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add a splash of the marsala wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off of the bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then, pour in the remaining marsala wine and bring the mixture to a low boil.
- Allow the wine to reduce by half (about 10 minutes) and then place the veal short ribs back into the pan and pour in the beef (or veal) stock.
- Bring the liquid back up to a boil before adding in the fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and bay leaf.
Bake
- Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is fork tender and pulling away from the bone.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the short ribs to a separate plate and cover them loosely with aluminum foil while you finish up the sauce.
Reduce the Sauce
- Discard the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce the sauce by ¼-⅓ more (depending on your desired thickness), Make sure to taste your sauce while it is reducing and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Once the sauce reaches your desired thickness, serve it over your short ribs. *You can place the short ribs back into the pan with the sauce to warm them up if needed.
Notes
- You can leave your short ribs in portions, or cut them into individual ribs before cooking. It's up to you!
- I really believe that using bone-in ribs helps to enhance the flavor during cooking. However, you can always use boneless ribs, too! Just make sure to check them during cooking, as they may cook faster without the bone.
- Don't skip out on searing your ribs! This adds a ton of flavor to the meat and will give you the tastiest ribs possible!
- To store: Allow your short ribs to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: Cover and warm your ribs over low heat on the stovetop for 15-20 minutes. Additionally, you can pop them in the oven at 325°F (160°C) until heated through.
Lynn says
A fancy meal that is EASY to make! My thyme died over the winter so I used dried thyme. I also am not a fan of rosemary and I think bay leaf is a useless herb, but that is me! Don't go
by me!! I am a wirdo! Lol!!That being said, it all was delicious! I make it with pappardelle pasta onky because I didn't have what I needed for mashed potatoes, but for sure, mashed next time. Thank you for this easy and luxurious recipe! It is a keeper!
Bryan Spiegel says
...hi Angela ...I will be trying your recipe now that I've found a local source (Wild Fork) for veal purchases ...your photos depict a dish that looks absolutely scrumptious ...that said, I have, in the oven at this moment, a 3 bone 1.5 lb. short rib of veal which I've pocket stuffed with milk toast, onion, parsley, celery, pinon, and lemon zest ...my German Grandparents, a farm family in Northern Ohio, would get the whole veal breast, remove and prepare a large pocket for this recipe and roast and render down the bones for demiglace ...I only cook for myself these days, but have always had a passion for cooking and my Grand's veal pocket is, in my opinion, a pinnacle masterpiece ...when I next try a veal short rib, I will try your recipe and sing it's praises (I'm not one to compare apples and oranges - I can look at your photos and the ingredients list and come close to imagining it's goodness
Wolfgang Rombach says
Selten so was leckeres gegessen. Rippchen beim Afghanen bekommen zu günstigem Preis.
"Rarely have I eaten something so delicious. You can get ribs from the Afghan at a reasonable price."
Christine says
This came out amazing!! I didn't have the Marsala wine called for so I used a deep Cabernet instead, and my guy dislikes mushrooms so I left them out THIS time, but wow it was still delicious!!! I'm looking forward to revisiting this recipe, ten gold stars. <3