If you’ve ever had short ribs, you know they’re a Rolls Royce of roasts. And, if you ask me, the only way to ever cook them to sheer perfection is in an Instant Pot. They will fall off the bone and become so tender, a fork alone will be able to cut them. I decided to give some short ribs the Mississippi treatment, where the gravy becomes zesty, sassy, and savory thanks to pepperoncini, some ranch and gravy mix and using the ultimate flavor in broth – Better Than Bouillon. The result is something so outrageously flavorful and delicious, you’ll never guess it was done with barely any effort whatsoever. Serve over my Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
This post was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon/Summit Hill Foods.
Watch The Video!
Prep The Broth with Better Than Bouillon
Sear, My Dear
Sauté and Deglaze
Give It Some Zazz
Pressure Cook
The Gravy Potion
Ladle Up!
The Taste Test
Mississippi Short Ribs
If you've ever had short ribs, you know they're a Rolls Royce of roasts. And, if you ask me, the only way to ever cook them to sheer perfection is in an Instant Pot. They will fall off the bone and become so tender, a fork alone will be able to cut them. I decided to give some short ribs the Mississippi treatment, where the gravy becomes zesty, sassy, and savory thanks to pepperoncini, some ranch and gravy mix and using the ultimate flavor in broth - Better Than Bouillon. The result is something so outrageously flavorful and delicious, you'll never guess it was done with barely any effort whatsoever. Serve over my Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients
The Short Ribs
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
- 4-5 pounds short ribs, bone in (I use the thick cut that look like giant cubes/bricks)
- 1 large Spanish onion, sliced longways into 1/2-inch wedges
- 6 cloves (2 tablespoons) crushed or minced garlic
- 1 (approx. 16-ounce) jar pepperoncini, stems removed with 1/2 cup of the juice reserved (see Jeff's Tips)
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth (I use 1 1/2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base + 1 1/2 cups water)
- 2 (1-ounce) packets ranch dip mix
- 2 (1-ounce) packets au jus or beef gravy mix
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
The Gravy Potion
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) salted butter, softened (see Step 7)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add the oil and butter to the Instant Pot. Hit Sauté and Adjust to the More or High Setting. After about 3 minutes of heating up, sear each side of the short ribs for about 45-60 seconds on each side in batches (likely two). Once done searing, use tongs to remove the short ribs to a plate, keeping the remaining oil and butter in the pot.
- Add in the onion to the pot and sauté for about 3 minutes. As you stir the onion around, it will release water while cooking and will deglaze (clear up) the bottom of the pot from any meat that was stuck on it. We want the bottom of the pot to be pretty much clear so that we have no issues when pressure cooking.
- Once the bottom of the pot is cleared and the onion’s are lightly translucent, add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add pepperoncini and the 1/2 cup of their juice along with the broth, ranch dip mix, au jus/gravy mix, and brown sugar. Stir very well.
- Return the seared short ribs and nestle on top of each other. Secure the lid and hit Cancel and then Pressure Cook or Manual for 45 minutes. When done, allow a natural release for 15 minutes (meaning you do nothing for 15 minutes) followed by a quick release.
- When the lid comes off, transfer the short ribs to a serving dish (they will be VERY tender and may fall off the bone). Hit Cancel followed by Sauté and Adjust so it’s on the More or High setting and bring to a bubble.
- As the sauce is coming to a bubble, make the Gravy Potion. Take the butter out of the fridge and microwave it for 15 seconds in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Then, add the flour. Mix until it becomes a frosting-like consistency. Once the sauce is bubbling, whisk in the Gravy Potion until fully dissolved into the gravy and allow to bubble for a minute before turning the pot off. The sauce will have now thickened into the perfect gravy consistency.
- Ladle the gravy over the plated short ribs (or return the short ribs to the pot with the gravy). Enjoy the short ribs served served over some wild rice, egg noodles or especially my amazing Garlic Mashed Potatoes!
Jeffrey's Tips
To ensure the pot properly comes to pressure (and to avoid a burn notice) it's crucial to make sure the bottom of the pot is cleared from any browned bits. Make sure it's fully deglazed when sautéing the onion in Steps 2-3 and also in Step 4 just after adding the mixes and before nestling in the short ribs.
If you want the dish less zesty/salty, you can skip the pepperoncini juice and sub in 1/2 cup more beef broth instead.
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