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Set the mood for a slow Sunday supper with these sous vide 72-hour braised beef short ribs — rich, smoky, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Perfect for when you want to impress without stress.
These short ribs are the kind of dish that whispers luxury and roars comfort. We’re talkin’ short ribs that’ve been cold smoked, slow-danced in a wine and fig braising bath for 72 glorious hours, and finished with a silky glaze that melts like velvet on your tongue. Sous vide cooking does this!
For other beefy sous vide recipes try this sous vide chuck roast with jerk seasoning.
Flavor Profile: This braised beef short ribs recipe hits deep with layers of smoke, sweetness, and savory complexity. The cold smoking step adds a whisper of oak aroma, while the wine-fig braising liquid brings subtle fruit notes that elevate the beef’s natural richness.
Texture Profile: After a 72-hour cook in a sous vide water bath, the ribs are impossibly tender yet structured — juicy, fork-soft, and buttery without falling apart. Each bite glides across your palate with a silky, luxurious feel.
Cooking Technique & Time: Start by cold smoking the short ribs for about 45 minutes at 150-185 degrees to infuse them with deep smoke flavor without cooking the meat. Then seal in vacuum bag (if you don't have a vacuum sealer a ziplock plus water displacement method does the trick) and place in sous vide bath at low temperature for 72 hours. The result is a perfectly medium rare interior and flavor locked in at a cellular level — science meets soul.
Key Flavor Enhancer - Wine & Fig Braising Liquid
The combination of red wine and figs adds balance and depth, cutting through the richness with a touch of acidity and subtle sweetness. It infuses the ribs with layers of caramelized fruit and earthy tones that feel both refined and homegrown.
Beats and Eats (music to pair with sous vide short ribs)
Like the groove of Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You,” this dish is all about intention — slow, sensual, and full of feeling. It’s music and food working in harmony, a rhythm that builds flavor the longer it lingers. Each bite is a declaration of love, a culinary slow jam that leaves you swaying in satisfaction.
Test Kitchen Secrets to a Great Dish
- Cold smoke first to lock in real smoke flavor without toughness.
- Use a red wine you’d drink — quality wine equals deeper sauce.
- Don’t rush the sous vide process; time is flavor.
- Finish with a sear for texture contrast and caramelized edges. Dry with paper towels before searing to get rid of any moisture.
Serve your sous vide beef ribs over creamy mashed potatoes with a side of air fryer roasted broccolini for balance.
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Red Wine and Fig Braised Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef short ribs
- 1 pound fresh figs preferably Black Mission, chopped into ¾-inch pieces
- 12 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or to taste
- 1 medium shallot chopped
- 1 whole Medium Onion Diced
- 3 whole Carrots Diced
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
Method
- Season ribs with salt and pepper, then set aside to reach room temperature. Pre-pare smoker for cold smoking (150-180 degrees). Add ribs and smoke for 30-45 minutes.
- Heat a dutch oven pan on med-high heat. Add oil then brown the ribs on all sides (about a minute per side). Remove ribs and set aside.
- Saute the onions and carrots for 2-3 minutes. Add figs, shallots, balsamic vinegar, and tomatoes in the pan and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Puree in a blender. Add wine to the pot and cook 2-3 minutes then add the pureed mix back to the pot. Mix well with the wine and then allow the sauce to cool.
- Pre-heat Sous Vide water bath to 131 degrees F. Add cooled sauce, fresh thyme, and ribs to bag and vacuum seal or place in ziplock bag and use water displacement method to seal. Place ribs in the water bath and cook for 72 hours.
Nutrition
Notes
- Bone-in ribs are preferred for their flavor, but you can use boneless ribs as well.
- Trim away excess fat from the short ribs and season generously with salt and pepper
- At 72 hours of cooking vacuum seal is safer and more reliable than ziplock bags which I typically use. Double bag the ribs to account for potential leaking. This is a long cook time so leakage is a real possibility.
- Cover your pot given the long duration of cooking to reduce evaporation. Otherwise, you'll have to monitor more and add water after a while
- Texture and degree of doneness will vary depending on temperature. I prefer more medium rare beef short ribs, which is how the recipe was written. For details a range scroll down to FAQs section to see guide for different texture/doneness.
- No need to marinate the ribs, as over the cooking period the ribs will marinate in the braise + its own juices.
- Glaze the short ribs with the remaining red wine au jus. I simply reduce the remaining juices in a pan and then brush the glaze on the seared short ribs
Private Notes
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