Instant Pot Short Ribs

Jim Weber

Short ribs simmering in a dutch oven all day are a delight! But they require occasional attention as they simmer in the oven for 8 - 10 hrs. We can speed the process in the Instant Pot to about two hours, with almost no attention required after the intital browning. Because the Instant Pot will shift to warm, it is possible to start this in the morning, head to work, and return to a delightful meal at the end of the day!

Print Recipe

Course Meat, Fish & Seafood Dishes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

6 large short ribs beef, bison, etc.
3 tablespoons seasoning salt
olive or coconut oil to coat bottom of pan
4 base vegetables, cut into bite-size chunks mix of carrots, parsnips, fennel, turnips, etc.
3 pieces okra, sliced serves as natural thickener
1 tablespoon base spices mix of black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin seeds, paprika, etc.
4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons umami flavoring coconut aminos, soy sauce, fish sauce, Tamari, etc.
2 cups acid any mix of canned crushed tomatoes, red wine, etc.

Instructions

As soon as possible, wash and dry the short ribs then cover with seasoning salt, rubbing into all six sides. You can do this as early as 3 days ahead.The longer the salt sits on the meat the better tasting and more tender it will be. Simply wrap up or place in a zip-top bag and leave in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.Brown the ribs: Set the Instant Pot on Sauté. When hot, add the oil, then place each rib on the bottom, leaving room between each. Sear for 2 -3 mins each side, covered with a pot lid, then turn. When five to six sides are browned (the bone side is sometimes hard to brown) remove the ribs to a plate, then pour out the fat. Deglaze the pan: This step is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT! Add the onions and a ¼ cup or so of broth and stir, gently scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until none remain. Add additional broth as needed. If burnt bits remain on the bottom, it is likely that the IP will detect this, throw a “burn” error and turn off the heat before reaching pressure.Soften the vegetables:Once the onion is soft, maybe 5 mins, add the vegetables and cook until soft. Adding additional broth as needed help steam the veggies until soft, about 10 mins. Add flavor and acid: Mix in the remaining Broth, the Spices, Umami and the Acid. Mix well.Optional: Continue to heat, covered until the liquid is boiling. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing burns and sticks to the bottom.Place the ribs vertically into the bath. The ribs should mostly be submerged in liquid. Add more liquid if required.Place the IP top on the pot and lock. Ensure the vent is closed. Press Cancel (to cancel Sauté), then Pressure.Cook. Set the timer to 45 mins, Pressure Level to High, and Keep Warm set on.If eating the ribs right away use a Fat Separator to remove the fat from the liquid. Alternatively, place the ribs and liquid in the refrigerator, and the fat will rise and solidify at the top and can be lifted off.The vegetables can be removed and drained. Boil the liquid down by half for a silky gravy.Serve on a bed of mashed roots, topped with the vegetables, a rib and gravy. Yum!Short ribs can be made in advance and frozen or refrigerated. Then warmed in a 300°F oven. (Recipe ♦496)

Notes

If you need to do more than 6, you'll likely need to do it in batches so they fit in the Instant Pot.