These tender short ribs made me an Instant Pot believer

I was an Instant Pot hater. The countertop multicooker, beloved by hordes for its speedy pressure-cooking abilities, felt to me like yet another bulky appliance I didn’t need and didn’t have room for. (I felt similarly about air fryers.) Most anything I could think to do with an Instant Pot I could do with my trusty Dutch oven, with often better results. But then I took over this Dinner in Minutes column and began to reconsider.

One of my favorite methods for cooking meat is braising. I love the almost meditative process of browning chunks of meat, sautéing vegetables, deglazing the pan with liquid and then slowly cooking it all in the oven until tender. But in many instances, that’s an hourslong undertaking, better suited for a Sunday afternoon instead of the weeknight recipes featured here. So I decided to eat my words and added an Instant Pot to my shopping cart to see what all the hype was about.

With a new appliance in my kitchen arsenal, I went to work to see what this puppy can do. My first use, straight out of the gate, was for a dish I love with every fiber of my being: braised short ribs. Long story short, this Instant Pot version satisfies even a cooking appliance curmudgeon like me. (At 1 hour 25 minutes, it takes a bit longer than my typical weeknight recipes, but much of that time is hands-off, and it can still easily be thrown together after a full day of work.)

Instant Pots have evolved since making their debut in 2010 — and will continue to do so for as long as they stick around. So keep in mind that the functionality might be slightly different based on the specific model you’re using. For instance, my model has only one pressure cook setting compared with the different levels found on older models. It also automatically seals itself when I close the lid, so I don’t have to worry about forgetting to do so.

Like all good braised meat recipes, this one starts with browning the short ribs to start building flavor. Typically, I’d recommend browning the meat on all sides for maximum deliciousness, but to speed things up, we can get by with just one side without losing much flavor. Then go in the aromatics, followed by red wine and tomato paste, before the short ribs are returned and the appliance works its magic — in under an hour. The result is tender, tasty beef that I didn’t have to wait around for all day.

The one drawback with multicookers is that, thanks to the sealed environment, none of the moisture can evaporate, resulting in a thinner braising liquid than I would have hoped for. My first attempt included a sprinkling of flour to thicken the liquid, as I would if I were cooking the short ribs in a Dutch oven, but I learned the hard way that you can’t do this with Instant Pots as it never came up to full pressure.

Other recipes suggest stirring in a cornstarch slurry or removing the meat and simmering it until reduced to thicken the liquid, both of which should do the trick, but I decided to leave it as is since it was still full of flavor (and, again, to streamline the cooking process). Besides, missing out on the luscious sauce of traditional braising methods is a small price to pay for fork-tender short ribs on a Tuesday.

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Instant Pot Short Ribs

3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs*

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable

1 medium yellow onion (9 ounces), chopped

2 medium carrots (6 ounces total), chopped

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup full-bodied red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Mashed potatoes, or cooked polenta, pasta or grains, for serving

Pat the short ribs dry and lightly season with salt and pepper all over. Set a large plate near your workspace.

Set a programmable multicooker (such as an Instant Pot) to SAUTE (HIGH). When it signals it’s ready, about 2 minutes, add the oil. (If your model doesn’t have a signal, heat the oil until shimmering, then proceed.) Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the short ribs, bone side up, and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to the prepared plate and repeat with the remaining short ribs.

Add the onion, carrots, garlic and thyme to the multicooker, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the wine and tomato paste. Pour the liquid into the multicooker and scrape any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the insert.

Return the beef, and any accumulated juices, to the pot and stir to combine. Press CANCEL to turn off the heat.

Lock the lid in place, and set the pressure-release knob to “sealing.” Select PRESSURE COOK and set to 45 minutes. (It takes about 10 minutes for the appliance to come to pressure before cooking begins.)

Once the cooking cycle is finished, release the pressure manually by moving the pressure-release handle to “venting,” covering your hand with a towel and making sure to keep your hand and face away from the vent when the steam releases.

Divide among individual shallow bowls, and serve hot, with mashed potatoes or cooked polenta, pasta or grains.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Substitutions: For 1 teaspoon dried thyme, use 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves. For red wine, use port, or beef broth or stock, with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar. For yellow onion, use any kind of onion.

* Notes: We tested this recipe in the Instant Pot Rio and Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-quart multicookers. The cooking time and functionality may vary depending on your appliance. We made this recipe with 3-inch-long short ribs (about 8 ounces each). If all you can find are the smaller ones, you may wish to slightly reduce the cooking time.

Nutrition per serving, based on 6: 458 calories, 6g carbohydrates, 116mg cholesterol, 33g fat, 1g fiber, 28g protein, 13g saturated fat, 516mg sodium, 2g sugar

— Aaron Hutcherson.