Braised Short Ribs

Braised Short Ribs

Beef
Dinner Party, Main Dish

Serves 4

One of my favorite meals.

Ingredients #

  • 4 lbs. beef short ribs cut English style (between the bones) and trimmed of excess fat
  • Flour
  • 3 cups red wine
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 6 oz. canned chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2-3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped off the stems (or ½ tsp. dried thyme)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, cleaned and chopped
  • 2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms (or ½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced)

Instructions #

If you’re using dried porcinis, put them in a bowl and cover them with very hot water. Set aside.

Season the ribs generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Sprinkle them lightly with flour on all sides (this will aid in browning).

Whisk the wine, sugar, tomatoes, beef broth, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and a large pinch of salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

As with most braised meat dishes, thorough and proper browning of the meat is critical to the flavor of the finished dish. A sturdy, heavy-bottomed pot such a cast iron Dutch oven or an enameled iron pot will make a real difference here.

Place a large, heavy pot over high heat and add the oil. When the oil is shimmering and about to smoke, start browning the ribs. Note that the ribs should not touch each other while browning, so you’ll need to do this in batches. Trust me, it’s worth it. Brown them well on all sides and set them aside on a plate or bowl.

When they’re all browned and removed from the pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and beginning to brown. Return the ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the wine mixture. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat until you get a gentle simmer. Skim any fat from the surface while simmering for 10 minutes.

If using porcini mushrooms, drain them and squeeze them gently. Roughly chop them into chunks and add them to the pot. If using fresh mushrooms, add them to the pot.

Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 2 hours. Start checking at 1 ½ hour – when the meat is fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone, they’re done.

Once the beef has cooked, remove it from the pot to a large bowl, cover, and set aside. Turn up the heat and bring the pot to a rapid boil until the cooking liquid is reduced, glossy, and slightly thickened (10-15 minutes). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, drops of Tabasco sauce or drops of lemon juice as needed.

Serve the ribs in bowls over mashed potatoes, rice, or polenta, spooning the reduced cooking liquid over the top.