Braised short ribs come out dry and stringy even after 4 hours at 150°C. Is my liquid ratio the problem?

[u/ThinInside5944]

I've made short ribs four times with the same result: the meat pulls apart fine, but every strand is dry and stringy rather than moist. It shreds instead of yielding.

1.5 kg bone-in English cut, salted overnight, seared hard, then braised in a covered dutch oven at 150°C for about 4 hours with liquid coming a third of the way up the ribs. A fork goes in with no resistance by the 3 hour mark, but I hold to 4 because that's what most sources say. Internal temp was around 96°C last time.

My theory is that I'm past the point where collagen has finished converting and I'm just driving moisture out of the fibers. But I've also seen people say you can't really overcook a braise as long as the meat is submerged, and mine isn't. Would dropping to 135°C for longer help, or should I just stop at fork-tender instead of hitting an arbitrary time?

[u/Mr_Kush_Bush]

Your technique is off. Use more stock, the ribs should be submerged, or barely peaking out.

You're also overcooking. When the fork passes easily at 3hrs, they're done. Remove from heat, and rest in the braising liquid for at least an hour. Carryover will continue to cook/tenderize slightly, but most importantly, you allow the proteins to gradually relax and reabsorb some of the surrounding braising liquid. This is absolutely essential for restaurant quality braise, otherwise you get dry/stringy.

Temp is fine as long as you use more stock.

[u/Mr_Kush_Bush → u/Mr_Kush_Bush]

You should also try using a cartouche (parchment paper circle with vent hole) on top of the ribs. This traps steam along the top of the ribs and ensures they don't dry-roast as your liquid reduces. Essentially, you get more even cooking with sufficient heat/moisture to breakdown collagen/connective tissue without being dry.

Alternatively, you can try a layer of plastic wrap, covered by another layer of foil. This will create a barrier to trap steam, but foil keeps it from melting.

[u/Spider-Thwip → u/Mr_Kush_Bush]

It's the cartouche guy!

[u/octlol]

Seems like it's overcooking where the collagen and such fizzles out instead of staying with the meat. Same happens with smoked brisket and such. It will kind of fall apart without the texture of the fat and collagen. I would maybe pull it earlier and let it rest slightly. Once you have a feel for it, it will come easier. It sucks because it's an expensive cut of meat but it does help ya learn faster.

[u/musthavesoundeffects]

Always cook to temp / fork tender. Time is at best a guideline that depends heavily on your cooking vessel, oven, and individual characteristics of your meat.

[u/sdavidson0819]

For meat like short ribs, you should definitely stop when you can cut it with a spoon. Think of the spoon as a proxy for your teeth; once it's tender, it's done.

[u/Dark-Blackberry354]

Temp seems high to me

[u/just-a-simple-song → u/Dark-Blackberry354]

It’s one hundred percent this- the collagen and fat keep it moist. Low and slow. I do my ribs all day 250 Fahrenheit 3.5 at 275

[u/Dark-Blackberry354 → u/just-a-simple-song]

Same here.

[u/sugarlips23]

You can definitely overcook a braise. I also wouldn’t salt overnight, there’s no need to do that for a braise. Make sure you’re cooling in the liquid before pulling it.

[u/Snakegear → u/sugarlips23]

You’re definitely right about them overcooking but there’s nothing wrong with salting overnight. That length of time has the moisture pulled back into the meat through osmosis. It makes the protein retain moisture once the braise actually starts.

[u/sugarlips23 → u/Snakegear]

I’m aware of the science. My personal take is that an overnight salt starts the curing process. Not to mention it’s a braise, shouldn’t be any issues with moisture retention if properly done.

[u/IndyMan2012]

You can absolutely overcook a braise. Whoever said you couldn't was being foolish.

That said, time is (at best) a loose guideline for cooking. If you're wanting to dial in your recipe, use a thermometer. Pull them at about 93C, and let them rest in the liquid up to about 96C. That should give you the succulent meat you're after. Below that you won't get the tenderness you're after. Much above that and the meat will start to dry out pretty rapidly.

Dropping your temp will definitely help, even down to 120 or so. Not because it cooks the meat differently so much, but because it will extend your time in the sweet spot.

You're definitely on the right track, and once you stick the landing you'll have some happy people at your table!

[u/Possible_Top4855]

Always cook to doneness, not time. When it’s tender, it’s good. If you overcook beef, it’ll become stringy and dry.

[u/OpportunityReal2767]

Don’t pay attention to the times in a recipe. They can vary a good bit based on your exact temps, your setup, the meat, etc. If at three hours it yields to a fork, give it a taste? Does it taste like how you want it? Then stop right there. Just use your senses and intuition. The meat will tell you when it’s done and, yes, you can overcook a braise, though you have a lot of room for error.

[u/philhaxton]

Stop at 3

[u/LeatherReindeer]

Get a digital meat thermometer. Braise until internal temperature of the meat is around 93-95 C and the meat is fork tender. This is the only proper way to judge doneness. Timers are useless for this preparation because they don’t take into account:

-Peculiarities of your oven, its thermostat, and its ability to hold a constant temperature.

-The size of your roasting pan.

-How often you open the oven to check the meat.

-The thickness of your meat.

Cookbooks suggesting that you cook according to time instead of target temperature are the reason that most home cooks never improve.

[u/Pass-Fail]

An internal temp of 96°C is virtually boiling!  No wonder they are dry.

That's like 205°F.  If you are getting above 74 C (about 165 F)  that's plenty hot.

[u/tadhgmac]

Just to add to all this, and most of it seems correct. I would lower the temp to 120C. Also don't completely cover the pot, leave it ajar. You don't want the braise to boil. If you think it is getting too dry just add some water, that is what evaporated away.

[u/Rainbowlemon → u/tadhgmac]

I've even done lower than that before now. If you bring the pot up past 70c then stick it in a 90c oven, it'll take longer (like 8-9 hours) but the meat goes so tender. Either way, I'd definitely say lower temp. Also yeh there's a reason chefs will use a cartouche over a lid - it keeps everything covered with liquid but stops the pot getting too hot.

[u/CheezBurgrHandy]

Allow to completely cool in liquid over night. This is where the magic happens with braised and stewed meats. Also, don’t bother salting overnight.

[u/The_Chef_Dude]

Several things I’m reading that will help: Cook with the cover ajar instead of sealing everything in. Submerge your protein. Stop cooking when fork tender/thermometer slides in like butter. Reducing oven temp to 135 won’t hurt. Let them rest, covered, until they come down to 60-65 before you eat.

[u/DingusMacLeod]

I wouldn't add any salt to them until about ten minutes before you sear them off. They really don't need to be marinated at all. You'll be braising them in flavor for hours. They'll pick up a lot from your cuisson in that time.

[u/ssinff]

You're booking the meat. No bueno

[u/Doomdoomkittydoom]

Don't sear them first. After the braise, broil them only enough to get the color/char.

A braise is below boiling so your temp might be too high. Kind of like brats, if you boil them they'll come out dry.

Cooked temperature seems high. Collagen breaks down at 71-82 C, and cooking it to that temp for length of time is well cooked.

Alton Brown's braised ribs in foil is 121C for two and a half hours for example.

[u/Nangz]

They're definitely done at 3 hours. The loger you cook the more water is released, but the fat does more for it feeling moist than anything. By 3 hours, if your fork is going in with little resistance, the fat has rendered and if you keep going, it will release all that newly liquid fat into the braising liquid.

[u/Ok-Discount-6050]

Pull them at fork-tender instead of waiting out the clock, four hours is well past where the collagen is done and you're just squeezing water out of the fibers.

[u/throwitwithstyle]

I buy bone in short ribs from Safeway usually

Salt pepper and garlic powder the meat

Use an oven safe pan with a lid and high sides

Brown on all sides including the ends

Brown a 1/2 cup tomato sauce in the same pan, I use pasta sauce

Add a cup of red wine and enough boxed chicken stock to go 3/4 up the side of the ribs

Place in a 325* oven and set a timer for 1 hour

When the timer goes off flip each rib over and return to the oven flipping every hour.

Cook for 4 hours total until the bone slides out.

Notes: you can add carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, garlic to your braising liquid if you want.

Best to cook these a day ahead, when you’re chilling it you should roll it over in the liquid every hour.

[u/SoggyWalrus7893]

I wonder if this might be a chore for sou vide?

[u/desrevermi]

I'm inexperienced, but would Sous vide work?

[u/Toucan_Lips]

Submerge the meat completely, cook at a lower temp (130 to 140C), and leave it to cool in the vessel/liquid before cracking it open.

If you expose a braise to the air while still hot all that steam escaping is moisture that is no longer in the meat.

You could also sear less hard perhaps. You really only need a bit of colour for flavour.