Brown Sugar Crusted Braised Barbecue Short Ribs

After teasing the recipe a few weeks ago {I KNOW!} I am FINALLY getting around to posting this recipe.  This is by far the most requested Sunday dinner in my house, by my husband, of course.  He loves this dish so much and understandably so - these short ribs are divine. BUT, they definitely have to be enjoyed in moderation - these are very high in fat.  And I guess that explains why they are so rich and flavorful.  If you are a meat-eater, you will LOVE these.  ...now on to the {simple} recipe!

 Ingredients:

Cross Cut Short Ribs {I used about 3-4 pounds}
2 Cups Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
1 and 1/2 Cups of Your Favorite Barbecue Sauce
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

First step - preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  These ribs are going to cook low and sloooow which will result in the softest most deliciously flavored meat ever.  Next, grab a large heavy-bottomed skillet to begin browning the meat before braising.

{Start by seasoning your ribs with salt and pepper.}

{To a large Ziploc bag, add your flour and season with salt and pepper.  Dredge the short ribs in the flour.}

{To your large skillet or pot, add your oil and over medium heat, begin to brown your flour-dredged short ribs.  This step helps to seal in the moisture and flavor of the meat.}

{Brown evenly for 2-4 minutes on all sides.  You want to sear just the surface of the meat, being careful not to cook it through. Once the ribs are all browned, drain on paper towels and add them to a large dutch oven, while you prepare the braising liquid.  You could use any oven-safe pot with a lid.}

 

{Roughly chop your onions.}

{To a few tablespoons of olive oil, heating over medium heat, add your onions and start to brown.  Add in your garlic and onion powders and continue browning the onions.}

{Add about 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce to the onions.}

{Add in a cup of the beef broth, stirring well to mix in the barbecue sauce.}

{Pour the broth/onion/barbecue sauce mixture over the browned short ribs.}

{Add in the other cup of beef broth to the dutch onion.}

 

{Tightly cover with a lid and braise in the oven at 325 degrees for 3 hours.}

 

{After cooking for 3 hours in a low oven, the ribs will be unbelievably tender!}

{Remove the ribs from the braising liquid and transfer them to a sheet tray.}

{Add a dollop of barbecue sauce to each short rib and brush to evenly coat.}

{Sprinkle each barbecue-brushed short rib with brown sugar.}

{Place the brown sugar dusted barbecue short ribs under the broiler for a few minutes until they are brown and bubbly.  Be very careful and watch this very closely, the brown sugar will burn fast!}

 

And that's it!  Easy and just divinely delicious. :)

 

{I served them with roasted veggies and sweet+spicy kale. YUM!}

 

Let me know if you plan to try these. They would be great for the upcoming holiday wekeend.  They can even be finished on the grill! 

 

Enjoy! xoxo, thanks for reading! ♥