McCloud’s Easy Smothered Beef Short Ribs Recipe

Listen, y’all—I’ma get straight to the point! These beef short ribs are FIRE! You hear me? This recipe is a modification of the smothered beef ribs my Grandma Val’s husband, McCloud, used to make. He didn’t have an actual “recipe,” but he always cooked them the same way.

What makes this a good recipe?

• Easy to make: This isn’t a hard recipe, so don’t worry about messing it up! If you’ve spent any time in the kitchen, you’ll knock this right out of the park!
• Quick and simple: Very little prepping is needed here. First, you season and sear the ribs, then make a gravy with broth and flour. After that, you bake them under foil until they’re nice and tender, which takes just 90 minutes.
• Hearty: Another thing I love is how comforting this dish is. You don’t think of ribs as comfort food, but the body-warming gravy they’re smothered in makes them just that. It’s the perfect autumn Sunday night dinner.
• Everyone likes it —let’s be real: nothing pleases everybody! But if there’s one thing 99.9% of us love, it’s RIBS. And when you smother them in a savory gravy, they become impossible to dislike. Trust me, it’s a crowd-pleaser; you won’t get any complaints.

McCloud’s a true Southern OG

So I’ve talked about McCloud a lot on my blog over the years. Those of you who follow me might remember me mentioning him in this recent recipe I titled his name in: McCloud’s Baked Smothered Pork Chops

McCloud was the epitome of a Southern OG! I remember how he used to make fried pork chops and home-fired potatoes for breakfast. Now y’all know that’s some Southern-ish!! Lol!

He was also a big fan of fatback and would make it twice a week! Lol! Only old folks from the South eat dinner food early in the morning for breakfast! Lol!

McCloud loved Apple cider vinegar

The reason I’m so excited to share this recipe is that I think it’s sort of different. Everybody loves ribs, but it’s not every day you see people smothering them in gravy.

When you think of Ribs, you think of baked or grilled ribs smothered in BBQ, not gravy. But McCloud would make them at least once a month. He would always add a splash of vinegar too.

And that’s what I loved most about them, aside from how tender they were. There were never any leftovers because my grandma and I would devour them. Lol!

But McCloud clearly had a love affair with vinegar; he put it in almost EVERYTHING! The smell of vinegar was something I had gotten used to during my teenage years. Lol! I remember him telling me he used it for flavor and to cut fat.

He would know… because if he couldn’t do anything else, he could cook his butt off. My grandma, Val, wasn’t a bad cook herself, but the MEN (McCloud and I) were definitely the cooks in the house.

My grandma Val and Aunt Pam never had to lift a pot or pan. The MEN held things down in the kitchen, and that’s not common at all. Haha!

Sunday dinner was a family tradition

One thing for sure, two things for certain: We ate good every Sunday after church—McCloud made sure of that! He might have let me cook dinner a few nights a week, but he was definitely the chef on Sundays.

We didn’t always sit at the dinner table, socializing like “normal” families about how our day was or what our plans were for the week.

McCloud would cook a good ole dinner, lay everything out on the table including the plates and utensils, and we’d all serve ourselves whenever we were ready.

If there was a time we’d all eat together, it was when the Eagles were playing. We didn’t want to wait until the game went off to eat, but we also didn’t want to miss it while we ate. So we’d just eat dinner while watching the game. Lol!

I laugh thinking about my youngest aunt, Val, who lived around the corner. She would never miss Sunday dinner! She made sure to come through and make herself a plate. Lol!

McCloud would let the food sit covered on the table until he knew everyone had eaten. Then he’d wrap up everything that was left over and put it in the fridge. He really held things down on Sunday when it came to the food.

Man, talking about this brings back a lot of good memories from my teenage years when I lived with Grandma Val. I really miss those days, man, when life was simpler.

I really miss the days when I could just sit back and wait for dinner without having to cook. The best part was knowing the food would be good because a chef was cooking it.

Yes, Chef… McCloud food was next level! Funny how life works! Back then, I always wanted to cook; now at 38, I want someone to cook for me. Lol!

Alright, let’s get to it now! Below is the full list of ingredients you’ll need for this delicious smothered beef short ribs recipe.

I also have a video tutorial below with step-by-step instructions for my visual learners who prefer to watch me make it

Watch Me Make It

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Ribs: McCloud used beef short ribs. They might not be the meatiest cut, but they pack a ton of flavor.
• Vegetables: I always add sautéed onions to my oven-baked ribs to boost the flavor. I like to use standard yellow onions. We’ll also be using minced garlic for that gravy; add it in once the onions are almost done.
• Fat: I’ve been using extra–virgin olive oil lately because it’s a healthier option. I also add a little butter to sauté the onions and garlic for flavor.
• Seasonings: Keep it simple! Use salt for taste, and paprika if you want to add a little color. Garlic and onion powder are non-negotiable! They bring a depth of flavor that’s absolutely necessary. Lol! Italian seasoning is the best herb blend for this dish because it packs all the big players in one. A little extra thyme goes a long way, and black pepper is a must!

For the gravy

• All-purpose flour: The flour is your thickening agent. It’s what thickens the liquid to create the gravy.
• Liquid: I use low-sodium chicken broth to build the base flavor. I prefer chicken over beef broth because I want the gravy to be flavorful but not overly rich.
• Water: I actually use a mix of broth and water to keep the gravy perfectly balanced.
• Vinegar: This is McCloud’s game-changing ingredient for the gravy. I use apple cider vinegar to really make those flavors pop.

Deglaze the Skillet

Some of you may wonder what it means to deglaze a skillet. You deglaze a skillet by using liquid to loosen and scrape off the bits left behind after searing meat.

We call those bits the “good” stuff because they’re filled with so much flavor. You definitely want that in a dish that’s going to spend time baking in the oven or simmering on the stove—it really enhances the overall flavor.

Just add a liquid to the skillet, such as wine, broth, or water. Then, stir it in with a spatula or large spoon to loosen and remove those bits from the bottom of the pan.

The Slurry Method

What’s a slurry? It’s just a mixture of a liquid (like water, broth, or juice) and a thickener (like cornstarch or flour) used to thicken your gravies and sauces.

To make a slurry, whisk your thickener into your liquid until smooth. It will slowly thicken once you add it to a pot, skillet, or dish and apply some heat.

Deglazing and Creating the Gravy

In this recipe, we’re making the gravy in the same skillet we used to sear the ribs. We’ll deglaze the skillet and create the gravy all at once.

First, we’ll add the flour to the skillet and stir it until the color changes. You do this whenever you’re making a roux or gravy to cook out that raw flour taste.

Then, we’ll stir in the broth and water until everything is nice and smooth. The bits will lift right from the skillet as we stir. You’ll see those bits from the ribs giving the gravy flavor as the color changes.

Last but not least, we’ll let it simmer for a few minutes. Then, we’ll pour the gravy over the ribs; it’ll thicken into a nice, savory gravy while the ribs bake!

How To Make Smothered Beef Short Ribs

1. Place the ribs in a baking dish.
2. Season both sides of the ribs.
   
   
   

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3. Place a skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the oil.
5. After 1 minute, add the ribs.
6. Sear on both sides for 4 minutes, then set aside in the baking dish.
   
   
   

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7. Combine the broth, water, and vinegar.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Place the skillet back over medium-high heat.
10. Add the butter to the skillet.
11. Once it melts, add the onions and sauté for 3 minutes.
12. Then stir in the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute.
    
    
    

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13. Stir in the flour for 1 minute, or until it’s no longer white.
    
    
    

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14. Deglaze the skillet: Pour in the liquid and whisk well.
    
    
    

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15. Let it simmer for 3 minutes, until the flour is smooth and the gravy thickens slightly.
    
    
    

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16. Pour the gravy over the ribs.
    
    
    

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17. Tightly cover the ribs with aluminum foil.
18. Bake until tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
    
    
    

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Tips for best results:

• Pat them dry: Pat the ribs dry before you season them. It helps the seasoning stick and makes them brown a lot better.
• Marinate: If possible, marinate your ribs for 4–8 hours to elevate the flavor.
• Tenderness: Keep the ribs tightly covered with aluminum foil throughout. This traps the steam and gets them nice and tender. Check after 90 minutes; if they aren’t tender enough, cook for another 30 minutes.
• Stir the gravy: Stir the gravy halfway through to ensure it doesn’t stick and thickens evenly.

Smothered Ribs Variations:

Want to switch things up next time? Here are a few ways to make these ribs your own:

• Use pork: This recipe works just as well with pork spare ribs.
• Skip the gravy: You can make these without it; just leave out the flour and garlic and cut your onions, broth, and seasonings in half.
• Go BBQ: These ribs are also great with your favorite BBQ sauce if you want to go that route.

Serving suggestions:

These ribs go great with a lot of different sides. Here are a few I love to pair my smothered ribs with:

• Green Beans: These smothered ribs pair perfectly with green beans- Lord have mercy!!! You can check out my fresh or frozen green bean recipes in the Vegetable Sides section of my blog.
• Spinach: As you can see in the featured photos, I served my smothered ribs with spinach. I used this very Frozen Spinach Recipe I posted to my blog many years ago. You can’t go wrong with spinach!
• Asparagus: Asparagus pairs well with smothered ribs as well. I have a good Sautéed Asparagus Recipe you can try.
• Rice: Rice is a solid choice because it pairs well with that gravy.
• Mashed Potatoes: Nothing goes better with gravy than potatoes. Try my Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes if you haven’t yet.
• Egg Noodles: This is a classic comfort food combo. The gravy tastes amazing served over some seasoned, buttery egg noodles.

Storage and reheating

• How to store the ribs: Place them in a container like a Tupperware bowl. Cover tightly with a lid, foil, or plastic wrap, then refrigerate.
• How to reheat ribs in an oven: Put them in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until warm. Add a splash of water if the gravy thickened up in the fridge.
• How to reheat ribs in a skillet: Put them in a skillet and add a splash of water to loosen the gravy if needed. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until warm throughout.
• How to reheat ribs in a microwave: Place them in a microwave-proof dish and heat on high for 2-3 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do beef short ribs look? The long beef short ribs we’re using are easy to spot by their 4 wide, eye-shaped bones.
• What’s the difference between beef and pork ribs? Pork ribs are meatier and juicier, but they cook faster. Since beef ribs are tougher, they need a longer cook time to get tende
• How do you loosen gravy after it’s been in the fridge? Put the gravy in a pot with a little water—about 1/4 cup—and simmer it over medium heat. Stir it until it’s smooth again.
• How long do these ribs last? I try to eat them within 3 days. After that, they lose their swag.

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of these smothered beef short ribs. Like, share, and subscribe so you never miss a recipe.

Enjoy, later!

Pbj~

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