- Ina Garten’s winter menu features red wine-braised short ribs with easy sides.
- The dish roasts in the oven—no stovetop searing or splattered oil required.
- Everything can be made ahead, making entertaining low-stress and delicious.
It wasn’t long ago that Ina Garten shared a super-cozy dinner party menu on Instagram. It featured a crispy potato galette, lemony skillet-roasted chicken and, for dessert, salted caramel brownies. I mean, yum, am I right?
Much to our surprise, she followed up with another comforting dinner menu option for winter, and she says the main dish is one of her “favorite winter recipes.”
“It’s one of the most searched recipes on our website,” the Be My Guest host writes in her recent Instagram post. “In fact, I’m making it this weekend.” The savory main in question? Her Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs. Here’s why it’s beloved by both fans and Garten herself, plus the sides and dessert she pairs it with.
The flavors in these short ribs are embraced by its nourishing sauce, packed with veggies like leeks, onions, carrots and garlic enveloped in a wine-stock-Guinness base. From sheet pan to Dutch oven, the dish requires minimal steps, which goes hand-in-hand with minimal stress. And the end result is more than worth it; your taste buds will be dancing with each forkful and, not to mention, it’s so, so satisfying and soul-warming.
“What I love most about this recipe is that instead of searing the short ribs on the stovetop—and getting hot oil everywhere!—I roast them in the oven,” Garten says. “I know I say this too often, but really, how easy is that?!”
The Barefoot Contessa loves pairing these short ribs with crusty bread or her Creamy Parmesan Polenta recipe, which only takes minutes and six ingredients to whip up. For a side, Garten suggests her Roasted Broccolini that simply elevates the cruciferous veggie with salt, pepper and olive oil. And for dessert, a five-ingredient Coffee Granita is on the menu, and it tastes as impressive as it looks. Served in gorgeous martini glasses, this frozen drink is bound to be a pick-me-up after a hearty meal. For a nonboozy send-off, our Chocolate-Cherry Dump Cake is a five-star dream and only takes 15 minutes to prepare.
One more thing to love about this menu: it may take a while to prep and cook, but Garten loves these recipes because they’re easy to make ahead.
“You can make the short ribs a day in advance, and while you’re reheating it, roast the broccolini and cook the polenta,” she says. “Even better, the Coffee Granita can be made days in advance! Dinner party done, no stress!”
We’re sold. Now we just need to cue up a Hamptons-appropriate playlist, grab our groceries and get to work—we have a feeling this cozy dinner is going to be utterly delicious.
