Pressure Cooker Short Ribs
Short ribs, braised until they are melt-in-your mouth pieces of beefy goodness, are one of my favorite meals. But they are a little finicky for a home cook.
*I had Michael Symon’s short ribs at Lola’s, years ago. It is one of the best meals I’ve ever had at a restaurant, and I’ve been working on my short ribs at home ever since.
Part of why they are so delicious is they are loaded with fat. When cooking short ribs, there has to be a plan to get rid of the fat, or the ribs and the sauce will be much too greasy. Once again, the pressure cooker comes to the rescue.
Trimming the fat
Why pressure cook short ribs? First, they’re done with 25 minutes under pressure, instead of the 3 to 4 hours of simmering they would need. Pressure cooking seems to break down the collagen in the meat better as well – I like how tender the ribs are after pressure cooking.
*Thanks to the pressure cooker, all the collagen from the bones winds up in the sauce as well. The sauce, once it is defatted, is rich, luxurious, and full of beef flavor.
Finally, there is the fat issue. The best way to get rid of all the extra fat is to cook the short ribs, then refrigerate them overnight in their sauce. The fat will come to the surface and congeal into an easily removed fat cap. This is where the shortened cooking time from the pressure cooker really comes in handy. I can make my short ribs in about an hour, end to end, the night before I want to serve them. I make them while I clean up tonight’s dinner, and they are ready to go for dinner tomorrow.
*Don’t have a pressure cooker? No problem. See the Variations section for non-pressure cooking options.
Video
Video: Pressure Cooker Short Ribs – Time Lapse [YouTube.com]
Recipe: Pressure Cooker Short Ribs
Equipment:
- Pressure Cooker (I use a Instant Pot Duo electric
pressure cooker)
- Fat separator (You need a big one
, at least 4 cups in size).
Pressure Cooker Short Ribs
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 6-8
Category: Pressure Cooker
Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Pressure Cooker Short Ribs recipe – meltingly tender short ribs from the pressure cooker – replace hours of simmering with minutes of pressure cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 4 pounds beef short ribs, each rib about 2 1/2 inches thick
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 cup red wine (Preferably a fruity blend, like a Cote du Rhone)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 1/2 cups water (or chicken broth)
Instructions
- Season and sear the ribs in two batches: Trim the fat on the top of the short ribs. Season the ribs with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in your pressure cooker pot (sauté mode in my electric pressure cooker). Brown the ribs in batches without crowding the pot. (4 pounds of ribs is three batches in my electric pressure cooker). Sear each batch of ribs on three sides – skip the bone side – until well browned, about 3 minutes a side or 9 minutes for each batch. Remove the browned ribs to a bowl. Once all the ribs are browned, pour out the extra fat, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the bottom of the pot.
- Saute the aromatics: Add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste to the pot, and then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits of meat into the onions. Add the wine to the pot, bring the wine to a simmer, and simmer for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom of the pot one last time, to make sure nothing is sticking. Add thyme sprigs, the ribs and any juices in the bowl, and the water to the pot.
- Pressure cook the ribs: lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Bring the pressure cooker to high pressure and pressure cook at high pressure for 45 minutes in an electric PC, or 35 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure to come down naturally, about 15 minutes more.
- Prepare the sauce: Remove the ribs to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Pour the sauce into a fat separator, let it rest for a few minutes to let the fat rise to the surface. Pour a little of the the defatted sauce over the ribs and serve, passing the rest of the sauce at the table.
Notes
If you have the time, refrigerate the ribs overnight to help remove the fat. After cooking, let the ribs cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight, or up to 3 days. This will let the fat rise to the surface and solidify. To serve, lift the solid fat from the ribs, then reheat the ribs over medium heat on the stove.
Notes:
- Don’t have a pressure cooker? Replace step 3 with: Put the ingredients in a dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover the dutch oven, and move to a 325°F oven. Cook in the oven for 2 to 3 hours, until the ribs are tender. Remove from the oven, and continue with step 4.
- If you want to speed up the browning, use two pans. I brown one batch in the pressure cooker while I brown another batch in a fry pan. Then, I saute the onions in the pressure cooker, while I heat up the water (or chicken broth) in the fry pan. This loosens up the browned bits in the fry pan, so I get their flavor in the final stew.
- Thin ribs: My grocery store usually sells ribs that are 2 to 2 1/2 inches thick…but sometimes they are thinner, more like 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. When this happens, I cut the time under pressure down to 30 minutes electric PC/25 minutes stovetop PC.
Thin ribs – these should only go for 30 minutes
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Pressure Cooker Chinese Pork with Plum Sauce
Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock (the best way to get chicken stock for this recipe)
My other Pressure Cooker Recipes
Adapted from:
Lorna Sass Pressure Perfect
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Hi Mike: I usually don’t trim off fat before cooking, finding the taste and tenderness best when you strain off the fat after cooking–a personal choice. Also, I just roll the ribs in a little bit of soy sauce for color and never bother browning them. (I’m too impatient…)
I’m really thrilled that you are spreading the good word about pressure cooking. With your help, the “pc” will find its way into every American kitchen. Thank you so much!
@Lorna Sass:
No, thank you, Lorna! Your cookbooks taught me how to use a pressure cooker, so I owe you a debt of thanks.
Hi Mike, thanks very much for this simple and informative recipe. I feared pressure cookers from my experiences with them growing up – Mom would always scare the pants off us when she used one. My Mom gave me a pressure cooker for 5 years ago this Christmas and although I’m a proficient cook, I had no interest in using it so it sat on a shelf in the basement. Mom died 4 years ago, and in celebration of her birthday yesterday my sister and I dusted it off and found this recipe. It happens to be the same pot you mention in this blog and the directions seemed relatively easy – the hardest part was finding short ribs at the store! I served them with mashed potatoes and the whole family raved about them. I don’t think I’ll let the grass grow under the pressure cooker anymore. Thanks for your inspiration.
@Anne T:
Thank you for the great story! I’m glad my recipe worked so well for you.
@Matt:
Thank you! Pressure cookers are nothing to be afraid of. But…I always get a little worried about the “lock the lid, leave it alone” part. I want to get in there and peek. It took me years before I learned to trust it and let it cook.
I just made these. Wow, they were so good. My family loved them. I was a bit nervous as it was the first time I used a pressure cooker.
I am new at Pressure cooking …. they scare me.
I need all the help I can get and I was wondering if there are any cookbooks out there, just for “Pressure Cookers/Cooking”
I made my first meal tonight with my electric pc … so far so good. But I would like to try more things ( I made short ribs) expand my repertoire so to speak. Thanks for inspiring me.
@Marni N:
Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass is the best introductory cookbook for pressure cooking.
Thank you!
This is the easiest and best of all the pressure cooker short ribs recipes I’ve tried. The gravy made itself, and the amount of liquid was perfect.
I flour my ribs before searing, and season the four with salt and pepper. Makes a lovely not too thick or thin sauce.
@wminot:
You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it!
I usually go all the way and make a beef and barley soup using short ribs. I cook the short ribs similarly in the pressure cooker, and then after it is cooked, I remove the lid (after cooker is completely decompressed of pressure), and add the rest of the ingredients (canned crushed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes if available, potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms (lightly sauteed prior in some oil/butter with onions and garlic), beef bouillon cubes, chili powder, paprika, fresh chopped parsley, and last but not least barley with constant stirring) to turn it into barley soup.
I only use the pressure cooker to cook the short ribs, but cook without the lid for the remaining steps. While your short ribs are cooking, you can prep the other ingredients. There is no need to defat when you use this recipe.
Beef with barley soup freezes very well, and serves as a great backup meal in the winter months.
@Amateur cook:
Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve been married 3 1/2 times and ALL of the ex’s took off with my pressure cookers, after I taught them how to use one! So, now I am single and found two used pressure cookers (4 qt) with their seals in great shape, in a second hand shop for $8 apiece!! I pressure cooked a cut up 10# turkey to make gravy for a 22# bird! After I ate the bits I wanted off of the big one, I stripped the carcass clean to add to my gravy which is so thick with meat you can eat it with a fork. I LOVE my pressure cookers! No man should be without one.
I love the richness that browning brings, so I brown all 6 sides of the ribs. I’ve also been using white wine for a slightly more delicate, but nonetheless sumptuous sauce. I add the wine to the sauteed aromatics, deglazing the pan, reducing the wine to about half its original volume, then add the broth. Yes, every home should have a pressure cooker!!! We use ours at least weekly chili, beans, chicken, soup, pot roast, many ethnic “slow cook” dishes are completely adaptable. Thanks for your experiences and encouragement.
Thank you! And good for you, having the patience to brown all six sides of the ribs…unlike me. I get tired of browning after about 10 minutes and say “that’s good enough…”
oh my golly, this was insanely good. truly melt in your mouth delicious. i used homemade beef bone broth, beer instead of wine (we didn’t have any on hand) and added soy sauce and a touch of honey. so basically, i korean-ized it a little, but used all your instructions for cooking it. thanks so much for this!
You’re welcome – those sound like great changes to the recipe!
Hi, I just recently got a pressure cooker and LOVE it, glad to find your blog 🙂 I’m making this for dinner tonight!
I have a pretty yummy Asian PC short rib on my blog and an awesome short rib risotto…. I’m obsessed with the short rib as well. in case you need an idea or two 😀
Heidi,
Thanks for the tips – I can always use a new short rib recipe!
do you adjust your pressure cooker timings for grass-fed beef? thanks for the great recipes!
I have to admit – I haven’t pressure cooked much grass fed beef. When I have, I’ve used the same timing, and it has worked out fine. I would be more worried about the size of the short ribs – mine are usually cut around 3 inches thick, and 25 minutes under pressure (plus the natural release) gives them plenty of time to break down the connective tissue.
If they’re still tough after 25 minutes, you can always lock the lid, bring the pot back up to pressure, and cook them longer – say another five minutes to start.
Good question – let me know how it goes!
Mike –
This was really great. I prepared this for the family using my Fagor 10 Qt. Futuro and as you said, it really makes the meat incredibly tender. I followed your recipe “to the t”, even used a Cote du Rhone, and the flavors were absolutely excellent.
The only slight adjustment I made is that I did follow your variation and completely de-fatted and filtered the sauce. However, rather than use a hand blender I added a cornstarch/chicken broth slurry and thickened the sauce slightly. The sauce was velvety in texture….very nice.
Curious what cut of short rib you normally use….I have read about English cut and Flanken. I like the cut in your picture with the bone running across (versus along the length which I normally find at our market). Lastly, do most of bones simply fall off as you remove the short ribs? Mine did.
Thank you for a great technique and recipe!
Mike
You’re welcome, and good idea with the defatted/thickened sauce – I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time.
Looks like a great recipe! I’m just wondering why you use chicken stock rather than beef stock. I’ve just gotten an electric pressure cooker and from what I’ve discovered it operates at a lower pressure than the stove top ones (12 psi vs 15 psi). I guess I’ll just have to set it to cook a little longer… not sure how much longer, though. I’m going to give this recipe a go, for sure!
I use chicken stock because I always have some on hand; beef stock would be a good substitute.
Try an extra 20% of time for the electric PC versus the stovetop. Good luck!
I made these yesterday to serve tonight so it’s too late to ask but…do you really use 2 tablespoons + of kosher salt? It sounds like a lot. I’m holding good thoughts for the $26 of ribs my husband purchased.
Omg I made these actually was my first meal in my pressure cooker and by far this us the best recipe on the net. Thanks. I’m making then tomorrow.
I’m trying your recipe tonight – but a quick quesiton. I notice at the top of the recipe you show cook time: 1 hour – but in the instructions you indicate 25 minutes. As I’m using an electric pressure cooker – I set mine for 30 minutes. Now I’m worried.
Sue,
The top of the recipe is my estimate of total cooking time – including the sautéing and natural pressure release. You have the right time under pressure.
I thought so – and I just made your recipe. Superb!!! This one is a keeper. I’m not a big fan of thyme tho – and wonder if you had a suggestion as to a difference spice I could use. It was good and I think not having used it much before – it had the pungent smell that made me almost eat the whole pot of ribs. I’m going to check out some of your other recipes. If they’re as good as this – dear God I may be using my pressure cooker every other day.
Great! I’m glad you liked it.
Use whatever herb you like instead of the thyme – rosemary, oregano or parsley are the first ones that come to mind.
What kind of adjustments if any do I need to make to the cooking time if I double the amount of ribs?
Extra ribs won’t affect the cooking time. Because of the extra meat and liquid, it will take longer for the pot to come up to pressure, and longer for the pressure to come down naturally once it’s done cooking.
But, once the cooker is up to high pressure, it will cook for the same amount of time (25 minutes for ribs that are 1 1/2 inches thick at their thickest part). Cooking time is determined more by the thickness of the individual ribs than the amount of ribs in the pot – if you have extra thick ribs (say, 2 1/2 inches thick or more at their thickest part), increase the cooking time by about ten minutes – go 35 minutes under pressure.
Thank you both, Mike for this recipe and reinforcing my affection for my own Fagor, and Lorna, for your awesome cookbook Cooking Under Pressure! I had to throw out all my books because we got mold in our house, and this is one of the cookbooks I’ll have to buy back since it was indispensable. I am with you on the why bother browning it question! Looking forward to having these ribs for dinner tonight. And it’s already 5:14 and the ribs are still frozen! But am I worried? No! What a joy the pressure cooker is.
Made this last night, but used white wine since that was what was open. Turned out great, and I will do it again.
The real time user is browning the meat. I’d be curious to know if anyone has tried it without browning and how much difference there was in flavor. Might make a good experiment post. Have a blind tasting panel try browned and unbrowned.
I brown for the enhanced flavour and appearance meat stays that grey colour if not browned
I’ve tried both and no longer brown thanks to Lorna Sass. I find no difference and browning kind of defeats my time saving pressure cooker.
★★★★★
Do you think this would still turn out well without the tomato paste? I am avoiding nightshades. Thanks!
Yes, it will be fine.
Sooooo delicious!!!
Mike, I’m planning to use boneless short ribs to make your beef carbonade recipe, which I made about a month ago, with hanger steak and it was delicious. If I cut the short ribs the same way, would you recommend lengthening the cooking time?
Mike, wow!!!
I just have to heap highest praise on you for the technical aspects of this recipe. You covered ALL the bases electric/stovetop, thin ribs/thick ribs, fresh spices/dried spices, options for defatting the sauce, and even how to reheat the dish (at the bottom of the recipe. To find such a technically user-friendly recipe is rare. Did you work at America’s Test Kitchen, perhaps? 🙂
I’m SOOOO looking forward to making this recipe today…AND checking out your other pressure cooker recipes!
Thanks so much for this!
You’re welcome! ATK is an obvious influence on me…but no, I’ve never worked there. I’m an enthusiastic home cook, not a professional chef.
Oops forgot to put the star rating in.
Done!
★★★★★
YUM! Definitely five stars! The idea to make them a day (or two) ahead was brilliant. The meat soaks up the flavor even more and removing the fat cap is a breeze.
We enjoyed them as ribs AND we enjoyed them when I deboned the ribs and cut the meat into pieces for the next day to finish off the broth and everything as a soup. Saving those bones to use to make your beef broth.
The only difference I made to this recipe was that I used some merlot I had handy instead of a more fruit-forward wine.
Thanks again, Mike!
I’ve been making these ribs for years – I owe you some feedback!! Thank you for an amazing, easy, and quick recipe. The only thing I change is the addition of BBQ sauce and a few minutes under the broiler. Thank you Mike!
★★★★★
Absolutely perfect short ribs! I used a cote du rhone and what a great flavor. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
I discovered short ribs about 10 years ago, and made them several ways, including other pressure cooker recipes. This was the best!!! I used my homemade beef bone broth, and couldn’t find cote du rhone at my grocery store so the wine manager helped me find a good substitute. The wine is not something I would drink, so I froze another two cups to use when I make this again, and I will, at least twice! I did use grass-fed beef, and it did take longer to cook. My husband, who likes nothing, loved this too. Thank you. I’ve frozen the bones, along with other beef bones, to make your two-part beef barley soup. Autumn: bring it on!
★★★★★