Instant Pot

Sheri Castle's Instant Pot Bourbon & Cola Beef Short Ribs

by:
October 13, 2018
3.7
34 Ratings
Photo by Hélène Dujardin
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

Recipe reprinted from Instantly Southern: 85 Southern Favorites for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot®. Copyright © 2018 by Sheri Castle. Photograph copyright © 2018 Hélène Dujardin. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

This dish is inspired by the classic braised beef recipes that appear in almost all vintage community cookbooks in the South. The classic relied on a packet of dry onion soup mix for seasoning and a bottle of cola to help tenderize the beef. This recipe updates those flavors a bit. Instead of dry soup mix, the gravy includes fresh onions and herbs. Pressure-cooking ensures tender beef, but the cola is still here for flavor. Be sure to use cola sweetened with cane sugar that holds its flavor when cooked, such as one of the local, classic, or throwback soda pops that are popular and plentiful these days. I also add Southern bourbon. It all adds up to tender braised beef in exceptional gravy. —Food52

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Ingredients
  • 3 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped (about 4 cups)
  • 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cola, preferably sweetened with cane sugar (not diet)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato-based chili sauce or ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Directions
  1. Blot the meat dry with paper towels and then sprinkle it all over with 2 teaspoons salt and 1½ teaspoons pepper. Warm 1 table-spoon of the oil in the pot on sauté high. Add the beef to the pot, working in batches to avoid crowding (so the meat sears and browns rather than steams). Let the short ribs cook undisturbed until deeply browned on all sides, flipping with tongs, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (When the meat is sufficiently seared, it will release from the pot without tugging and lift easily with tongs.) Transfer the browned pieces to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining pieces, adding more oil as needed if the pot looks dry. Reduce the heat and add a few drops of water if the browned glaze on the bottom of the pot begins to scorch or does not loosen. (The multi cooker might issue a burn warning message if there are solids stuck to the bottom of the pot during pressure-cooking.)
  2. Reduce the heat to sauté medium and add the onions and garlic. Stir to scrape up every speck of the browned bits and glaze from the bottom of the pot. Add a splash of water if necessary to loosen the browned bits. Cook until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Stir in the cola, chili sauce, Worcestershire, soy sauce, dried thyme, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return the beef to the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Let stand for natural release of the pressure.
  4. Use a spider or large slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a bowl, leaving the cooking liquid and vegetables in the pot. Spoon off as much fat as possible from the surface or use a fat separator.
  5. Puree the cooking liquid and vegetables with an immersion blender directly in the pot. (Alternatively, purée in batches in a stand blender, filling it no more than one-third full with hot liquid. Return the puree to the pot.) Stir in the bourbon and season the gravy with salt and pepper.
  6. Return the ribs to the pot, nestling them together and coat-ing them in the gravy. Let the meat rest in the gravy on warm medium until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh thyme.
  7. Hint: Braised beef always tastes best the second or third day, so when time allows, let the finished dish cool to room temperature, which you can speed up by setting the inner pot in a large bowl or sink of ice water. When it’s time to serve the dish, discard the fat that collects and solidifies on top. Wipe the outside of the inner pot dry, return it to the multi-cooker, and reheat the meat and gravy on WARM HIGH before serving.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

18 Reviews

Bethany W. May 2, 2019
Tastes amazing!!! My new favorite instant pot recipe
I don't usually have bourbon on hand, but i substitute with red wine and it's amazing. I prefer to use cheer wine for the cola and it works great!
Nichole November 17, 2018
Made this tonight but cut the recipe in half. Substituted Whisky as I had no bourbon. Came out great!
Helen October 28, 2018
Delicious! Took much longer than I thought. I wish I had made it the day before. I'm sure (as it says at the end) that this is even more delicious the next day.
Quelle H. November 6, 2020
Initially most recipes do....Haven't made it yet...that's tonight, but what's not to like about it? Love meat, love bourbon, love mashed potatoes!
Miss V. October 21, 2018
These Instant Pot recipes all look wonderful. Here's what's holding me back: I have an unused Mini Duo (3quart) sitting on my counter, unused, because I do not know how to convert this size to my size. Do you have Mini Duo versions?
William C. October 24, 2018
Most electric pressure cookers are 6 quarts - just divide the recipes in half.
Patricia J. February 22, 2020
I have both as I’m single. I just cut it in half
D.K. E. October 21, 2018
Since our Christian faith leads us to abstain from alcohol, Is there a substitute for Bourbon?
John L. October 22, 2018
There will be no alcohol left after cooking as it will evaporate.
D.K. E. October 22, 2018
Yes, I knew that. Thank you.
FatSquirrel November 10, 2018
I used beef broth in place of the alcohol.
Nancy M. December 26, 2018
I googled this because I was making chili for a friend who can consume no alcohol at all and my chili recipe includes beer. I was surprised to learn that it is not true. According to the information I found from multiple sources, the amount of alcohol will be reduced but will not be eliminated.
Gammy October 18, 2018
These look so yummy, but alas, I have no Instant Pot. What changes could I make to approximate this recipe using a dutch oven? Seem to be OK up to making the sauce. At that point could I put the ribs in a covered dutch oven into oven for a couple hours? Suggestions on oven time and temp gladly accepted. TIA!
Jayne P. October 21, 2018
I was just thinking the same thing, as I don't have one either and really have no space for any more gadgets. You could cook in a slow-cooker for a few hours (crockpot or similar) or in a Dutch oven in a low oven - I would think around 150 Centigrade/300 F - for a few hours. I would give it at least three hours though - and check the liquid level half way through. If you have a woodburning stove, you could cook this on a trivet on top of the stove - I do that a lot in the winter - saves the electricity bill.
FatSquirrel November 10, 2018
I did have to add more liquid halfway through the cook time when I made this in a Dutch oven.
Melefuzz January 5, 2020
My husband can’t eat tomatoes or other night shades. Do you have a substitute idea for the chili sauce or ketchup? Red wine vinegar perhaps?
Olivia March 26, 2020
I could see tamarind paste (maybe half the suggested quantity) or pumpkin puree working well in this recipe. Not the same flavors, but perhaps also complimentary.
razzy May 13, 2020
Perhaps, but apple cider vinegar would be a less piquant substitute. I'd also add a bit of sugar (or other sweetener) as well.