Instant Pot Short Ribs with Rosemary and Polenta is a decadently rich and creamy meal that normally takes all day to make, but the Instant Pot brings it all together in about an hour.
There are two sides to everything, including eating habits, and when I’m not enjoying fresh salads, heirloom tomatoes, or grilled salmon, you can usually find me in front of a plate like this. Short ribs have to be the most luxurious meal ever, and when you consider how quickly they cook up in the Instant Pot it’s almost shocking. Add in the rich gravy and cheese polenta and, well, I don’t know if I’ve ever had anything better.
Normally short ribs require a long slow cooking in the oven in order for them to get that tender fall-off-the-bone texture that everybody craves. Normally you have to play WAY ahead for a short ribs meal, and the idea that you could come home from work, pop them in the Instant Pot, and sit down to perfectly cooked ribs in less than an hour is truly game changing.
If you haven’t succumbed to the Instant Pot craze yet I’m here to tell you that it’s not a craze, it’s not a new kitchen gadget that will be here today gone tomorrow ~ this thing is a true game changer. Its brought me back to cooking meals like risotto and short ribs that I’ve all but given up on because I’m beat at the end of the day.
The cheesy polenta cooks up on the stove in just a few minutes, so you can get that organized just before the ribs are done. I like to add milk to my polenta, which keeps it from solidifying as it cools. This means you can enjoy the leftovers more easily, providing there are any, of course!
ย Fresh rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, and I think it’s underutilized in recipes. I love to mince the tender leaves and use them as garnish, the piney flavor is so pungent. Here are a few other recipes that feature this gorgeous Mediterranean herb~
Rosemary and Olive No Knead Focaccia Bread
Savory Herb Shortbread
Rosemary Chicken Skewers
Instant Pot Rosemary Short Ribs Over Polenta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless short ribs, you can use bone-in short ribs, too
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup red wine
- several sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
polenta
- 3 1/2 cups water, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on the sautรฉ button. When the pot is hot, brown the ribs, in two batches, on all sides. Give them about 4 minutes per side to get really nice and brown. Remove to a plate.
- Press cancel and add the wine to the pan, stirring to get any brown bits up from the bottom of the pot. Add the stock, salt, and rosemary sprigs. Arrange the ribs back into the pot, pushing them down into the liquid as much as possible.
- Close and lock the lid and set the vent to seal. Press the Stew button and set for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, press keep warm, and leave for 15 minutes. Then turn the pressure vent to release, and wait for the pressure to normalize. Remove the ribs to a plate and shred the meat with two forks, or clean hands. Strain the gravy into a saucepan and bring to a simmer on the stove. Season with Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and a little water, stirring until smooth. Add to the gravy and stir until thickened. If you want it a little thicker you can add more cornstarch.
- Meanwhile make the polenta. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Mix the cornmeal with the remaining 1/2 cup water in a bowl.
- Slowly add the cornmeal mush to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat and continue stirring and cooking for 5 minutes, until the polenta is thick. Caution, it will sputter!
- When the polenta is thick, I like to stir in 1/2 cup milk, and then, off the heat, the cheese and butter. Stir until smooth and creamy.
- Spoon the polenta into individual serving bowls, and top with a generous portion of short ribs and gravy. Sprinkle on finely minced fresh rosemary as a garnish.
- Enjoy!
Make these Instant Pot short ribs your own ~
- Make it ahead ~ refrigerate the meat and gravy and reheat gently on the stove top. Make the quick polenta just before serving.
- Make it over noodles or mashed potatoes instead of the polenta.
This recipe looks incredible!
How many servings does this recipe make? I’m planning dinner for six. Thanks!
Looks amazing. Going to do in the crock pot. Thinking of adding pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms – When would you add them?
They’ll get pretty soft if you add them at the beginning, so you might have to stop the cooking and add them halfway through. That involves bringing the pressure down and up again, so it will take a little longer overall.
Iโve made this recipe and LOVE it! Going to serve it for our New Yearโs Eve dinner for 20 or so. Can I double the recipe? I have two large Instapots but didnโt want to cook 4 separate batches. Thanks! Can you please give me cooking times?
It’s going to depend on how much can fit in your IP, Cheryl, if it’s below the max fill line it should be fine to double, although I don’t think you’ll need to fully double the sauce ingredients, since it doesn’t cook off in a pressure cooker. I believe the cooking time should be the same.