One Of The Best Red Wines For Braising Ribs Is Full-Bodied And Easy To Find

There are many ways to make tasty braised ribs, but one of the easiest, most flavorful upgrades comes from a simple walk down the wine aisle of your local supermarket. Red wine brings acidity, fruit, and depth to the braising liquid, which eventually becomes part of the savory sauce swimming around your slowly simmering ribs. But you don't need to hunt down an obscure varietal or spend a fortune to make this happen; just reach for a familiar, widely available bottle of full-bodied, bold, and brave cabernet sauvignon, which can be found at any good wine retailer. 

Cooking with wine remains a mystery to many home chefs, but it comes down to understanding how different varietals react with other ingredients. That's especially true when considering meat dishes — and even more so when it's red meat and red wine. In our guide to the best red wines for cooking, we explore this long-term relationship, starting with how cab sauv can help soften the meat while simultaneously adding flavor depth. It's known for carrying a wide range of rich, robust flavor notes, including blackberries, currants, plums, cassis, anise, tobacco, and so many more, depending on the winemaker. This works beautifully with savory browned beef and other typical braising ingredients such as onions, garlic, herbs, and beef stock. Meanwhile, the full-bodied heaviness of the wine can cut through the rich, fattiness of the meat for the perfect balance.

While cabernet sauvignon's acidity lends a hand in tenderizing the meat, the long, gentle braising process is very important in softening the connective tissues in the ribs, creating that craveable, fall-apart texture. Working in tandem, it's a combination made in rib-lover's heaven. For more detailed instructions on using red wine in this way, you can follow our Tasting Table red wine-braised beef short ribs recipe. 

The red wine creates a lovely cabernet-based sauce while the ribs cook, but a portion of that same liquid can also be reduced and strained, then turned into a savory, sticky glaze for coating the cooked ribs. Once your braised masterpiece is ready to go table-side, there are lots of compatible side-dish options for assembling a harmonious meal.

If you're building a dinner around red-wine braised ribs, it's hard to go wrong when placing something creamy or starchy underneath to catch all that deeply flavored sauce. Buttery mashed potatoes are a cozy choice of comfort food, joined by roasted carrots or other roasted root vegetables on the side, plus warm bread for mopping up any irresistible sauce pooling on the plate. Alternatively, creamy polenta, risotto, or wide egg noodles work beautifully as well. 

Since braised ribs are already rich, you might want to add something fresh, green, or slightly bitter to balance the heaviness. Sauteed broccolini or leafy greens, such as spinach or chard with garlic and lemon, can brighten up the overall meal persona, while cold salads made with bitter radicchio or escarole offer crunchy contrast to saucy ribs. For more ideas on braising ribs in general, check out this extra step Ina Garten adds to braised short ribs for deeper flavor and less hassle.