When Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa re-imagined their lounge into the Enchanted Rose, not only did they revamp the decor. They also upgraded their food & drinks menu. One of the best small plates that was originally on their menu was their Short Rib Sliders. They were tender and meaty with a fantastic sweet and savory aspect provided by their accompanying Onion Marmalade and Blue Cheese topping. Unfortunately, they’ve since changed this item to Smoked Brisket Sliders, which are also tasty. But their was just something about those Short Ribs. So, we decided it was time to bring them back, with our own recipe. That way we can enjoy them whenever we want.
Let’s get cooking!
- Quick Note: This Braised Short Rib recipe was our signature dish while we were running our catering company. They were always a hit! However, while they are not particularly labor intensive, they do take a bit of time. It’s not a dish you will be able to put together for the family quickly after work. You’ll want to make sure you have about 1½ days to create it. I know. That seems so long. Trust me, though, when I say, the time these take is worth every minute. They will end up super tender and absolutely delicious.
Our Ingredients
The list of components for our Braised Short Rib Sliders is not actually a lengthy one. The cooking process is mostly what makes these delicious. Not the amount of ingredients.
For the Short Ribs, themselves, I actually use Chuck Style Beef Ribs. If you can’t find these in your store, you can purchase a Chuck Roast and hand-trim it to the size ribs you prefer. You can also use traditional Short Ribs. However, it will add the extra step of removing the bones. I find the Chuck Ribs to be just as tasty and a lot meatier.
For the Dry Red Wine, you can use whatever you prefer. While I don’t suggest you use an expensive bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, you should use something that you’d actually be willing to drink. It is a key part of this recipe so don’t, completely, cheap out on it.
The Marinade
The first step for our Braised Short Rib Sliders is to get the Beef marinading. This will infuse the meat with a ton of extra flavor and add extra depth to the sauce.
The Meat
To start, you’ll want to place the Short Ribs in a bowl with the All-Purpose Flour, Salt & Pepper. Toss until each rib is well coated.
Meanwhile, place a large pan over medium-high heat and add about a tablespoon of Olive Oil. Working in batches, add the Short Ribs to the pan, a few at a time, making sure not to over-crowd the pan. Sear each side of the ribs well then remove to a separate large baking dish like in the photo below.
The Vegetables
Once all of the Short Ribs have been seared and removed, add the Diced Onion to the hot pan.
Sauté the Onions over medium-high heat while stirring occasionally until they just start to become translucent. Be sure to scrape up as many of the brown bits as you can from the bottom of the pan. (That’s what we call “The Goodness”)
Next, add the Diced Carrots and Celery to the pan with the onions. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about another 5 minutes. Then place them over the top of the seared Short Ribs in the baking dish.
The Wine
Add enough Dry Red Wine to the baking dish to just cover the Short Ribs. (Save the rest for the chef 😉 ) Allow the dish to cool to about room temperature then cover and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours to overnight.
Braising Time
Once the Short Ribs and Vegetables have marinaded overnight, it’s time to get them braising. Start by using tongs to remove the Short Ribs from the Marinade and Vegetables and place them in a different large baking dish.
Next, place the Marinade and Vegetables to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the Beef or Chicken Stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then carefully pour it back to the baking dish containing the Short Ribs.
Scatter the Rosemary Sprigs throughout the pan then cover completely with plastic wrap.
Now, add a layer of Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil and try to seal the sides as tightly as possible. Place in a 275ºF oven for, approximately, 3½ hours.
Onion Marmalade
While the meat is cooking away, it’s time to make the Onion Marmalade part of our Braised Short Rib Sliders. Begin by placing the Olive Oil and Butter to a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Once the Butter has melted, add the Sliced Red Onion and Sugar and stir to combine.
Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to slowly caramelize. This should take somewhere around 12 to 15 minutes. They should brown slowly like you see in the picture above. If you notice the ends of the onions browning very quickly, turn down the heat.
Next, add the Dry Red Wine, Balsamic Vinegar and Salt to the pan and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has evaporated. About another 15 to 20 minutes.
Once the liquid has evaporated, remove the Onion Marmalade from the pan and allow to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Finishing the Short Ribs
Once the Short Ribs have braised for about 3½ hours, remove them from the oven. Remove the Foil and Plastic Wrap, being careful of the steam that will be released.
Using tongs, carefully remove the Short Ribs from the braising liquid. Try your best to make sure you just remove the meat and not the vegetables or rosemary. Place the Short Ribs in another baking dish.
The Sauce
Next, carefully pour the Braising Liquids and cooked Vegetables into a fine-mesh strainer over a medium-sized pot. Strain completely, being sure to press down on the solids to release as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the leftover Vegetables.
Place the pot with the strained Braising Liquid on the stove over medium-high heat. Stir in the Sugar, Salt and Pepper. Heat, stirring occasionally, until boiling. This will end up being the sauce for our Braised Short Rib Sliders, so you’ll want to be sure to get the seasoning right. Be sure to give it a taste and adjust, if necessary, with more Sugar, Salt and/or Pepper.
Return the heated and seasoned Sauce to the pan containing the Short Ribs. Then place them back into a 350ºF for about another 30 minutes. This will help perfect the sauce and glaze the Short Ribs.
Remove and keep warm until ready to use.
Assembling our Braised Short Rib Sliders
Time to put our Braised Short Rib Sliders together. Begin by splitting the Rolls from the top down. This is, obviously, a bit different than what you would see from a traditional slider but it gives them a great look. Lightly coat a medium pan with Cooking Spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the rolls to the pan and toast each side until golden brown, like in the photo above.
Next, remove a few of the Braised Short Ribs from the sauce and place in a plate or bowl. Using tongs, give them a little squeeze. They should be tender enough to flatten and somewhat “shred” without actually falling apart. Add a little bit of the Sauce back to the meat and toss carefully
Place a little bit of the Short Ribs into the center of each Roll. Top that with a small amount of the Onion Marmalade and a liberal sprinkle of Crumbled Blue Cheese.
Place the assembled Sliders on a baking sheet. Place under a broiler, set to high, and cook until the cheese just begins to melt slightly.
Remove, garnish with a couple of Chives, serve immediately and enjoy!
Our Conclusion
These Braised Short Rib Sliders hit so many wonderful notes. Each bite is a sweet and savory celebration in your mouth. You get this wonderful toasty, crunch from the roll. The Braised Short Ribs are rich and insanely tender. The sauce provides this luxurious depth of flavor. Then you get this punch of sweet, acidity from the Onion Marmalade. Finally, the Blue Cheese comes through with a semi-salty tang that completely balances the entire dish.
These are amazing!
Make them for your next get-together and you’ll be the hit of the party!
- Other Serving Suggestions: These Braised Short Ribs will also work as an entree. They’re wonderful over a serving of Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or simple Polenta. If you’d like another way to serve them as a small plate, they would be amazing over a serving of Tater Tots. Please contact us if you’d like recipes for any of these side dishes.
If you have any questions about this or any of our recipes, just hit us up below in the comments. You can also reach us through our Contact Us page or through email.
Braised Short Rib Sliders
Makes approximately 12 Sliders
For the Braised Short Ribs
- 1½ – 2 lbs – Chuck Style Beef Short Ribs
- 1 cup – All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp – Salt
- ½ tsp – Pepper
- 1½ – Yellow Onion – Diced
- 2 cups – Carrots – Diced
- 2 cups – Celery – Diced
- Dry Red Wine
- 2 cups – Beef or Chicken Stock
- 1 tbls – Sugar
- ½ tbls – Salt
- 1 tsp – Pepper
For the Onion Marmalade
- 1 – Red Onion – Sliced
- 1 tbls – Olive Oil
- ½ tbls – Butter
- ¼ cup – Sugar
- ½ cup – Dry Red Wine
- 2 tbls – Balsamic Vinegar
- Pinch – Salt
For the Braised Short Rib Sliders
- 12 – 15 – Split Top Dinner Rolls
- Blue Cheese – Crumbled
- Chives – If desired
For the Braised Short Ribs
- Place Short Ribs into a medium-sized bowl. Add the All-Purpose Flour, Salt & Pepper and toss to coat
- Place a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon of Olive Oil. Working in batches, add the Short Ribs to the pan and sear on all side. Remove to a large baking dish
- Add the Diced Onion to the pan and sauté until just translucent. Add the Diced Carrots and Celery and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the Vegetables from the pan and place on the Short Ribs in the baking dish
- Pour enough Dry Red Wine into the baking dish to just cover the Short Ribs. Allow to cool, cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 6 hours to overnight
- Once the marinading is complete, remove the Short Ribs from the Red Wine and Vegetables and place in large baking dish.
- Add the Red Wine Marinade and Vegetables into a medium pot along with the Beef or Chicken Stock over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
- Carefully pour the liquid over the top of the Short Ribs in the baking dish. Add the Rosemary Sprigs and cover with a layer of Plastic Wrap then Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil; sealing the sides as best you can
- Place in a preheated 275ºF oven and braise for at least 3½ hours
- Once the Short Ribs have completed braising, remove the pan and carefully remove the Foil and Plastic Wrap. Remove the Short Ribs to another baking dish
- Carefully pour the Braising Liquid through a fine strainer into a small pot; using a spoon to get as much of the liquid from the vegetables as possible. Discard the cooked vegetables
- Add the Sugar, Salt and Pepper to the Braising Liquid and stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings, as necessary
- Pour the Sauce over the Short Ribs. Place in a preheated 350ºF oven and cook for an additional 30 minutes
- Keep warm until ready to serve
For the Onion Marmalade
- Add Olive Oil and Butter to a pan over medium heat
- Once the Butter Melts, add the Sliced Red Onion. Stirring occasionally, sauté the onions until they begin to caramelize; about 15 minutes
- Add the Dry Red Wine, Balsamic Vinegar and Salt and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated: about 15 to 20 minutes
- Cool completely and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use
For the Braised Short Rib Sliders
- Using a serrated knife, split the rolls from the top. Lightly coat a pan with Cooking Spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the Rolls and toast the sides until golden brown
- Remove the Braised Short Ribs to a plate or shallow bowl. Using tongs, give them a “squeeze” to help them shred slightly. Toss with a little of the Short Rib Sauce.
- Place a little of the Braised Short Ribs into each Roll. Next, add a little of the Onion Marmalade to each slider then sprinkle the tops, liberally, with the Crumbled Blue Cheese
- Put the Sliders on a baking sheet and place under a broiler set to high until the Blue Cheese just begins to melt
- Garnish with Chives (if desired) and serve immediately
If you enjoyed this Disney Dish, be sure to check out our other Walt Disney World recipes
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Cousin Megan’s Traditional Meatloaf from 50’s Prime Time Cafe
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