Maple Bourbon Braised Short Ribs

This braised short ribs recipe was a roaring success! The sweetness of the maple and bourbon permeated the tender meat and every bite was succulent and delicious. Like most braised dishes, these short ribs were even better the next day. The glaze was a nice touch but wasn’t really necessary as the meat was so rich and delicious on its own. I served it with chipotle mashed sweet potatoes to add some heat to the plate and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and balsamic vinegar. This recipe worked perfectly and had well-written, clear instructions. My only quibble is that there was a lot of grease on top of the dish that needed to be spooned off before serving. However, I made it a day ahead of time and was able to easily remove the solidified fat after a night in the fridge.

This is easily my favorite recipe that I’ve had the pleasure to test so far—rich beef flavor and a fragrant, tangy sweet sauce. I used an excellent single-grain Ontario rye whisky, which has been described as having a “feistiness of flavor” that I find appealing. The recipe was simple and yielded fantastic results that left us all wanting more. I used just over 3 pounds bone-in short ribs and it made enough for 3 people when served with skillet potatoes and charred broccolini. I gave the ribs a nice sear—about 3 minutes. I had roasted garlic earlier in the week and used that as well. The sauce was just about enough to cover the meat; I only had to add another 1/4 cup water. The ribs were cooked to a perfect texture after 2 hours. I added a little whisky to the glaze, just for the flavor. Next time, I’ll make more of the glaze just because it was so good.

WOW! This braised short ribs recipe produced the best braised short ribs I’ve made in a long time. We found the ribs tender and juicy with little fuss in the making. After 2 hours in the oven, they were done to perfection, no additional broth or water needed. I did remember to stir once and then forgot the rest of the time, but no harm done as nothing stuck to the pan. The glaze was very quick to make in just 6 or 7 minutes and then we were ready to serve. I had some mashed sweet potatoes ready for serving and we found them the perfect accompaniment for the ribs. My tasters found the ribs to be not overly sweet considering the amount of maple syrup in the recipe and glaze. Since the sweet potatoes were mashed with just salt, pepper, and butter, they didn’t compete with the taste of the ribs. The bourbon was a light note in the background taste, so next time I might add a splash to the glaze as well. We served this with sautéed greens and iced tea. A simple recipe with stellar results. I think these would work well with bone-in short ribs. Also, I think the glaze would be really good on pork ribs.

This braised short ribs recipe with maple and bourbon takes two classic all-American flavors—bourbon and maple syrup—and combines them into a deeply flavorful sauce for short ribs. And since short ribs need to be cooked low and slow, there is plenty of time for the these flavors—plus onion, garlic and rosemary—to sink deep into the meat. Of course, the flip side is that the aromas fill the kitchen and make you want to snatch the ribs out of the oven and dig in even with an hour to go. This recipe is a good lesson in patience. It’s a pretty straightforward preparation—searing the ribs on all sides, then sautéing the onion and garlic, then reducing the bourbon and maple mixture to really amp up the concentration and flavor factors. The whole thing—all done in one pot (the ever valuable Dutch oven)—goes into the oven. The trickiest part was making the glaze. Cook it too long (as I did) and once it cools it becomes like candy. Tasty candy, to be sure, but not a glaze.

I’ve made a lot of short rib recipes through the years, but this braised short ribs with bourbon and maple recipe may now be at the top of the list! DO NOT skip the glaze! The slight sweet and smoky taste of the glaze perfectly finished it all off. It took a full 2 1/2 hours for my short ribs to be totally tender. I cooked the ribs the day before serving and then cooled them off and refrigerated them overnight in the same Dutch oven I used for braising. The day of serving, I removed the hardened fat from the top and gently reheated everything for an hour before serving. The liquid in the recipe was sufficient for the braising; I didn’t need to add more. I served the ribs over the sweet potatoes as suggested, but they could also go over mashed Yukon Gold potatoes or homemade noodles. I don’t think we can wait for winter to make these again!