Pomegranate Short Ribs (Slow Braised)

Bowl with mashed potatoes and braised pomegranate short ribs, garnished with chives and fresh pomegranate seeds.

5 from 3 votes

This Pomegranate Short Ribs recipe is a showstopper! It’s a Middle Eastern twist on a classic dish with tangy pomegranate molasses and earthy spices. Perfect for a weekend meal, dinner party or special occasion. The best part? Most of the heavy lifting is done in the oven.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $50

Equipment

Heavy oven-safe pot with tight fitting lid

Ingredients

2 ½ lbs Beef short ribs (cut into 2 inch cubes)
2 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Vegetable oil - or light olive oil
1 Celery stalk (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1 Onion (finely chopped) - Yellow or white
3-5 Garlic cloves (minced)
2 tsp Baharat spice blend - Substitute with ¾ teaspoon cumin, ¾ teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup Red wine
2½ cups Beef broth
3 tbsp Pomegranate molasses - use 4 tbsp if you like a more sour flavor profile
5 Thyme sprigs
2 Rosemary sprigs
2 Sage sprigs
2 Bay leaves
Garnish with pomegranate seeds and chives

Instructions

Season and Sear the Beef. Season 2 ½ lbs Beef short ribs (cut into 2 inch cubes) generously with 2 tsp Kosher salt and ½ tsp Black pepper. Heat a large, heavy oven-safe pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and drizzle in 1 tsp Vegetable oil. Once hot, sear the ribs on all sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding. Once browned, transfer ribs to a plate and set aside.
Preheat Oven and Sauté Aromatics. Preheat your oven to 350°F (about 175 °C). Add 1 Celery stalk (finely chopped), 1 Carrot (finely chopped), 1 Onion (finely chopped), 3-5 Garlic cloves (minced), and 2 tsp Baharat spice blend. Sauté gently for a few minutes until the vegetables soften and the spices become fragrant. Don’t let them brown.
Deglaze. Pour in 1 cup Red wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Those bits (fond) are flavor gold.
Assemble the Braise. To the pot, add 2½ cups Beef broth, 3 tbsp Pomegranate molasses, 5 Thyme sprigs, 2 Rosemary sprigs, 2 Sage sprigs, and 2 Bay leaves. Nestle the seared short ribs back into the liquid.
Braise. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Slow-braise for 2½ to 3 hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender. Check about halfway through. If the level of liquid has dropped too much and you feel like the pot is drying up, add a splash of beef broth.
Serve. Serve your pomegranate molasses short ribs over creamy mashed potatoes (or polenta), spooning over some of the braising juices (or reduce them into gravy). Garnish with pomegranate seeds and chives.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos, helpful tips and tricks.

Key Ingredient Notes:

Beef: Recently, I started using boneless short ribs as they are easier to work with, and you don’t have to deal with the cartilage you get from using bone-in short ribs. But both options will work in this recipe. For a more affordable option, stewing beef cubes can be used. Chuck roast can also be used.
Red Wine: Adds acidity and depth; helps tenderize the meat and infuse flavor. If you don’t want to use wine, feel free to leave it out and just use more broth.
Broth: This is a beef recipe, so I am using beef broth. You can also use chicken or vegetable stock if that’s what you have on hand.
Pomegranate Molasses: Gives that sweet-tart Middle Eastern flair and balances the richness from the beef. You can find it at all Middle Eastern grocers, but you can also find it in the International aisle of your supermarket.
Baharat Spice Blend: You can purchase the spice blend from any Middle Eastern grocery store, or you can substitute with roughly equal parts ground cumin, ground coriander and cinnamon. That’ll get you the closest to the authentic flavor profile.

Serve them over creamy Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes, Vermicelli Rice, polenta, or shred them and make wraps.

Nutrition