One of my favorite dishes on the planet is braised short ribs.

And one of my favorite sides on the planet is risotto. So! We’re combining my two faves into one incredible dish today.

These Cocoa-Crusted Short Ribs with Red Wine Risotto are a show-stopping stunner of a meal. They are perfect for wooing a special someone this Valentine’s Day OR for treating yourself to an incredible and soul-warming meal. Either way, you win.

Gosh, my love for short ribs goes way back. I remember watching Giada de Laurentiis making them on the Food Network 20 years ago and practically drooling into my bowl of ramen in my college dorm room. I was obsessed with her back then (still kind of am, to be honest), and it was the first time I’d ever seen someone cook short ribs.

I was on a mission after that. I was going to cook some short ribs!

I have since made many a pot of braised short ribs over the years, and they never disappoint. Even if you think you’ve messed it up, you can usually salvage the meal, thanks to the meat being so rich and unctuous and hard to overcook.

The sauces are where you can get really creative. I’ve done lots of red wine based preparations before, but I’ve also done short ribs in a tomato sauce, and I’ve even cooked short ribs in Guinness! That recipe is a doozy, by the way. Check it out.

In keeping with a Valentine’s Day theme, I wanted to make a short rib that featured red wine and chocolate. Cocoa powder, to be exact. It just screams romance to me. And given that this sort of meal is my husband’s ABSOLUTE favorite kind, it just made sense.

The chocolate here is not at all overpowering. Don’t worry – I’m not asking you to make chocolate and beef stew. It’s subtle and savory in it’s own way. It works so well with the beef and the red wine because it has some rich, dark bitter notes and a touch of sweetness that helps round out all the savoriness we have going on with the other ingredients.

To sum up, the cocoa powder adds incredible flavor and balance to the dish, but you don’t necessarily know that you’re eating something that has chocolate in it. I promise.

Another thing that’s great about braised short ribs? Once you get them going, you can sort of forget about them for a few hours. It’s a mostly hands-off cooking experience with very big rewards.

And the red wine risotto? You guys, I’ve been making this risotto for years and years now, and it always blows people away. It is SO delicious. The red wine is really the star here, so you want to use something you enjoy drinking. It is cheesy, rich, and creamy and complements the beef so well.

Here’s how we make this stunner of a meal!

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make These Cocoa-Crusted Short Ribs with Red Wine Risotto:

Olive oil
Bone-in beef short ribs
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Ancho chili powder
Ground coriander
Onions
Garlic
Red wine – use something you enjoy drinking! I recommend a fruit-forward, dry cabernet or red zinfandel for this recipe
Tomato paste
Beef broth
Dark brown sugar
Worcestershire sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Bay leaf
Fresh thyme
Cornstarch
Unsalted butter
Chicken broth
Arborio rice
Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley or chives

How to Make These Cocoa-Crusted Short Ribs with Red Wine Risotto:

For the Short Ribs:

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and then dredge through a mixture of cocoa powder, chili powder, coriander, and then dredge the short ribs through the mixture to evenly and lightly coat, shaking off the excess. Do not discard the cocoa powder mixture – we’ll add some of it to the pot later on.
Sear the beef on all sides, in batches, in a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot.
Once the meat has all been browned, remove from the pan and set aside. To the same pot, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion has softened.
Stir in the tomato paste, and then the wine. Allow the wine to reduce.
Stir in the beef broth, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the cocoa powder mixture used for dredging the ribs, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and then return the short ribs to the pot, along with any juices that may have accumulated on the plate.
Cover the pot and place it in a preheated 350°F oven. Cook for 2-3 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bones (actual cooking time will vary depending on the size of the short ribs and your oven. My short ribs were on the smaller side, so it took closer to 2 hours).
Remove the pot from the oven and place it on the stovetop over medium heat. Carefully remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside while you finish the sauce.
Whisk the cornstarch into ¼ cup of cold water. Set aside.
Bring the cooking juices to a simmer. After it has reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes. Finally, stir in the butter until it is melted.
Return the ribs to the pot and let them sit in the sauce until you are ready to serve.

For the Risotto:

During the last half hour of the short ribs cooking the oven, start the risotto by cooking an onion in a large skillet in some butter. Heat up the chicken broth in another pot.
Add in the garlic and rice and cook until the rice is toasty and golden in spots.
Stir in the wine, scraping up any bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until it is mostly reduced.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin slowly stirring in the chicken broth in ½ cup increments. The idea is to slowly poach the rice in the hot broth and allow it to absorb it before adding more. This allows the rice to release its starch slowly and gradually, creating the soft and creamy texture of risotto. Add the broth, stir to combine, and then allow to cool for a few minutes before adding more. Keep stirring and continue this process until all the broth has been incorporated and the rice is cooked through and creamy. This process takes about 25 minutes. Don’t rush it!
Add in the grated cheese and stir to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
To serve this dish, spoon the risotto into serving bowls and top with the short ribs and a drizzle of the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley or chives, along with another grating of parmesan cheese, and serve immediately while everything is hot.

Tips & Tricks:

I recommend selecting a good bottle of wine for this recipe. “Good” does not have to mean expensive! One of our favorite red wines is $11 a bottle. Just make sure to use a wine you enjoy drinking because the flavor is prevalent in both the short ribs and the risotto. A rich and fruit-forward cabernet or red zinfandel would be really great here.
Take the time to sear your short ribs. It develops the flavor of the dish in such an important way – not only does it establish the cocoa crust on the meat, but it allows the short ribs to render some of their lovely fat into the pot, which we then use for building the sauce. It takes some time, but it’s one of the most important steps of cooking any braised meat!
The amount of time it takes for the short ribs to braise in the oven will vary between 2 and 3 hours. It depends on both the size of your short ribs and your oven. My short ribs were on the smaller size, so it took closer to 2 hours for me. I recommend starting to check around the 2-hour mark and adding time, as necessary, to get the beef to a fall-apart tender stage.
For the risotto, it is key to work with hot broth. Adding cold/room temperature broth to the rice as it cooks stunts the cooking process by cooling everything down. Adding hot broth allows the rice to slowly poach and release all it’s starchy goodness, which is how you get risotto to be creamy.

Other Recipes You May Enjoy:

I can’t think of a better way to spend Valentine’s Day. Curled up on a couch, glass of wine in one hand, and a fork full of short ribs and red wine risotto in the other. Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it?