Braised Short Ribs are a favorite cool-weather comfort food. Beef short ribs are braised until tender in a sauce made from carrots, celery, onion, and herbs and are perfect served over mashed potatoes, polenta, or rice
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 ½ pounds English cut short ribs trimmed of silverskin and excess fat – see notes below
½ cup flour for dredging only
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions diced
4 medium carrots diced
3 celery ribs diced
10 cloves garlic smashed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
14 ounces crushed plum tomatoes
2 cups dry white wine
2 medium bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
2 sprig rosemary
2-3 cups low sodium chicken stock or enough to almost cover the ribs
Gremolata (optional):
½ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
1 clove garlic minced
1-2 teaspoons orange zest
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300f and set the rack to the middle level.
Heat a large stainless steel pan to medium heat. Trim short ribs of any silverskin and excess exterior fat. Dry the short ribs with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Dredge the ribs in the flour and shake off the excess. Add the olive oil to the pan and sear the short ribs on all sides until well browned. Work in batches, if required, to not overcrowd the pan. Set all of the seared short ribs aside.
Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat and oil from the pan and turn the heat down to a touch less than medium. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for about 10-12 minutes or until very soft. Once soft, add the garlic cloves and cook until golden (about 2 minutes).
Add the tomato paste and stir frequently for 3-5 minutes. Next, add the wine and turn the heat to high. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to a simmer and add the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Taste test the sauce and season with a bit of salt and plenty of pepper. Don’t use too much salt at this time since the sauce will reduce and concentrate.
Pour the sauce into a roasting pan or baking dish. Place the short ribs into the pan. Pour enough chicken stock to almost submerge the short ribs. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 3 hours, turning the ribs over at the halfway point. After 3 hours remove the foil. Continue to cook until the meat is fork-tender but not falling apart (~30-60 minutes).
Once tender, remove the short ribs from the oven and place them onto a platter tented with foil. Degrease the sauce with a fat separator, paper towels, bulb baster, or just skim with a spoon. Remove and discard the herbs. To thicken the sauce, transfer to a pot and turn the heat to high or if satisfied with the sauce’s consistency just serve as is. Taste test the sauce and make final adjustments to salt and pepper.
Serve the braised short ribs over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta, or with crusty bread. Top with the gremolata if desired.
Notes:
– One large 3 to 4-inch long English cut short ribs is a perfect portion size. If the ribs are smaller, 2 or more per person might be needed. For this reason, pounds were specified over the number of short ribs.
– Cooking time is a rough estimate. Cook until the fat has rendered and the ribs are very tender. Depending on the fat composition and size of the short rib more or less than 3 ½ hours of braising time might be required.
– Serving the short ribs the next day is even better if you have the time!
