Step-by-Step Recipe: Braised Beef Short Ribs

In honor of fall, I felt it was time to make something hearty for dinner this past Sunday.  So I pulled out one of my favorite Pioneer Woman recipes, and we were not disappointed.  I made braised beef short ribs with creamy goat cheese polenta and brussels sprouts.  The latter two aren't part of the step-by-step, but I can link to the recipe for the polenta below (there was no recipe for the brussels sprouts).  I know braising sounds like some fancy technique, but it's really very easy--it just takes a while.  Lucky, most of the time is spent in the oven, with little hands-on help from you!

If you've never had beef short ribs, they are inexpensive, fatty, and delicious when braised.  Just make sure that if they have bones you get bigger pieces than I did.  Usually when I ask the butcher to cut them for me at the grocery store (they never actually have them in the meat case), they debone them, too.  It doesn't matter much--bone or no bone--since the meat becomes so tender from the braising that it falls apart, anyway.  But if you don't want to feel cheated, follow my advice.

First, assemble your ingredients.  Note: that is a Côtes du Rhône red wine.  You can use any red wine, really, but something on the heartier end (i.e., not an American pinot noir or a Beaujolais).  As always, it's best to use something you'd actually drink, and not the "Two Buck Chuck," if you can help it.  But there's no need to cook with a $20 bottle of wine.  I think this one was on special at the market for $9.

In case you don't know what beef short ribs look like, here ya go.  Season with salt and pepper.

Then coat those babies in flour.  Set aside.

Then cook the pancetta in a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Once it starts to brown, remove the pancetta and set aside.  Leave the grease in the dutch oven and add the olive oil.

Now it's time to brown the short ribs.  Brown them all on all sides--about 45 seconds per side.  It's gonna get dark in the pan, FYI.

Then remove the short ribs and add the onions, carrots, and shallots.  Saute for a couple of minutes.

Now it's time to add the wine!  Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil.

Boil for a couple of minutes, then add the broth, salt, and pepper.

Now it's time to add the short ribs back to the mix.  Settle them in so they are mostly covered by the liquid.  Throw the rosemary and thyme in there.

Put the lid on, admire your pretty dutch oven, and put that baby in the oven.  Cook for 2 hours at 350 degrees.

After 2 hours, reduce the oven temperature to 325 and cook for another 30-45 minutes. When you pull it out of the oven, check to make sure the meat is tender and falling off the bone.  Then put the lid back on and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes.  (Now is when you can make the polenta or whatever you're going to serve these with.)

After 20 minutes, skim as much grease off the top of the liquid as you can (this is easier to do if you refrigerate at this point, but that only works if you're making this to serve later).  Then serve on a bed of delicious creamy polenta, and spoon some sauce over the top.  Add a veggie to the plate if you're Midwestern like me and must have meat + starch + veggie at all meals.  (These brussels sprouts worked well with this dish--they're just sauteed and steamed, so super easy.)

If the short ribs are pretty fatty, there won't be a ton of meat, but trust me, this is so rich that it'll be okay.  The sauce on the polenta is almost enough to send you over the top!

Braised Beef Short Ribs, from the Pioneer Woman
Time: 20-30 minutes prep, 2 hours 45 minutes in the oven, 20 minutes resting; allow at least 3 hours 30 minutes.  Serves: 4.

Ingredients

• 8 whole beef short ribs
• Coarse salt & pepper to taste
• ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 6 pieces pancetta, diced (or about 3-4 ounces)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole medium onion, diced
• 3 whole carrots, diced
• 2 whole shallots, peeled and finely minced
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

 

Directions

1. Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.
3. Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.
4. Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
5. Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.
6. Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)
7. Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

Recipe for creamy polenta, also from Pioneer Woman.