Thanks. Yes, it's a braise, and low and slow. I make a lot of things that are better the next day, but this recipe (which is dead easy) really is best day of.

I think you should get about the same result if you browned a day ahead ;-)

If you brown the meat ahead but don't cook through, the meat will "bleed" lose moisture when you cool it....( ask me how I know!!)
Best to either wait and brown day of....or cook all the way and reheat.

Browning takes so little time, why not just do it the same day?

2 things:

1. heating them up without getting them to a safe temperature throughout and then cooling and then heating again when you cook them leaves a lot of time in the danger zone of 40-140*F.

2. Short Ribs (and most braises,) are most certainly better the second day since the fat that rises can be scraped off before the reheat. (I'm not fat-phobic at all, it gets rid of the unpleasant grease slick on top.)

Like Veda said, I don't like the idea of browning them but not cooking thru and then cooling...

With the exception of ham or soups/ stews, I don't like leftover meat. It always tastes 'leftover' so I would not cook them ahead and re-heat.

Thanks, everybody! I didn't think of it from a food safety point of view, and also didn't know what would happen texturally. Linda, that does not sound pleasant, and I'm glad to learn from your experience! I won't do it. Since my helpers are uncertain, I think I'll just make something else.

Fawnridge, browning that many could take at least an hour, and I'm going to have so much to do, I don't know if I'll have time. ... Though.... Since I'd rather brown in the pan they'll be cooked in, I could try browning in the center of the roasting pan. I might be able to do six at a time that way. My kitchen will do most anything, but don't have a double burner that would work with it, just a big induction element.

Veda Beeps, I appreciate your opinion, but I've made this recipe several times and it is certainly NOT better rewarmed. Still good, but not as good as the first day. I will say though that the short ribs I've gotten from my butcher are much leaner than others I've seen. Still rich, but I never get a scrapeable layer of fat they way I do with brisket.

I wouldn't worry about the food safety aspect. The interior of beef is free of bacteria that causes foodborne illnesses. That is why you can buy a steak, sear or slice off the exterior, then chop it up and eat it raw as tartare aka boeuf hachee. Thus, it isn't going to matter if the meat right under the surface spends some time in the so-called danger zone.

I wouldn't worry much about the meat losing moisture either. Assuming you sear them quickly at high heat. Short rib has plenty of internal fat and connective tissue and that's what gives it the nice texture. Recall that we dry age steaks in part to reduce the internal water, and no-one says dry aging makes steak less tasty.

I'd presalt the meat, heat plenty of oil real hot, sear quickly, wrap in foil and refrigerate until the next day. Whatever liquid collects in the foil, just add to the braise.

If there is anything on the pan to deglaze, I'd pour off the oil, deglaze in water or wine, and add that as well. If wine, then instead of foil, use some other container (acid, you know).

I wouldn't worry about the "danger zone" factor. The fact is, any foods that we cook, then cool down goes through the danger zone temp range until it reaches a safe temp. This minimizes the opportunity for bacteria to form and there's no difference between ribs that get browned and go into the fridge, or a baked chicken that gets refrigerated for leftovers.

Additionally, once you do pull it out to braise, you will raise the temp well past 140 degrees.

I would not hesitate to do that step ahead.

You probably have a favorite recipe already but i use Daniel's. short ribs

A few personal tweaks and i double the rib amount...his recipe should use weight.

...and cook for a bit less than that, 2ish hours, before cool down, then fridge.

(i never have a cooking port so leave it out and use another sweet hit)

Thank-you all for the further information and thoughts. I do find Linda's experience offputting, but maybe I'll give it a good try. I suppose I should do a test run on a couple.

Sleevendog, many thanks for the link. It's Daniel Boulud, what's not to love? But way too fiddly. I have a lot of braising recipes that are like that, and are terrific for a cool day in with nothing to do but mess around with the meat.

I'm not sure if my "easy" recipe (toe curlingly delicious) is one I made up, one from the 'net, or a combo of both. It's meant to be a beer braise, and is really yummy as such, but is even better with a good red wine. It's just a dry rub, coarsely chopped mirapoix, garlic, and diced tomatoes, plus the booze. Brown, throw everything in the pan. About 2 hrs. total cooktime at 375°. Turn once. Add more liquid if needed. Reduce.

Couldn't you brown them in the oven under the broiler? That should speed things up over a pan, I would think.

Perhaps, but would all sides be browned? Wouldn't they have to be turned and made to balance on their sides?