Ina Garten's Tip To Simplify Cooking Beef Short Ribs

Short ribs are an incredibly soft and tender dinner option, but the process of cooking them can seem daunting. Thankfully, Barefoot Contessa chef Ina Garten has shared a tip that simplifies the process. Ina Garten is all about simplifying the cooking process, and we're here for it. When cooking short ribs, most recipes will tell you to sear the meat on all sides in a hot pan, but Garten suggests baking the meat instead.

"Instead of searing them in a pan, which I found so annoying, where you have to keep turning them and get the oil splattered all over you, what I am going to do is put them on a sheet pan and brush them in oil," Garten said in a video on the Food Network. Garten bakes five pounds of heavily salted and peppered short ribs for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. "So much easier than searing them in a pan," she continued.

While the meat cooks in the oven, she can get her veggies sautéed together before adding in her spices, a whole bottle of red wine, a stout beer, crushed tomatoes, and then finally, the baked short ribs. They will continue to cook in the oven at 325 degrees for two more hours before being ready to eat with a pairing of your choice!

You may be wondering why anyone sears the short ribs in the first place since it adds to the cooking time. Many people consider it a critical step in cooking short ribs, as it adds flavor to the final result and helps seal in the juices. Moreover, if you're scared of the splattered oil, you could try searing them in a dutch oven (the same style Garten uses in her video). That same pot could help reduce the splatter of oil due to the depth and height of the sides, more so than a sauté pan, which is also used to sear short ribs.

Now, knowing why some chefs choose to sear short rib, you still may want to forgo this step altogether. If that sounds like you, the good news is you can skip the searing. However, if doing so, you will need to keep the meat elevated and have a good portion of the meat sit above the liquid rather than submerged just like Ina Garten does in the video. Whichever way you choose to cook your short ribs, they would pair well with a ton of side dishes, including sheet pan roasted veggies and garlic bread (which is actually best made on the stove).