Braised Beef Short Ribs

Everybody loves beef short ribs (thin ribs in the U.K.), which are generally larger and meatier than their pork equivalent the spare rib. There are numerous ways to prepare beef short ribs, from Korean-style barbecue to the French classic pot-au-feu (pot on the fire). I like to braise them in red wine at a low temperature for a couple hours. The meat becomes so tender no knives are needed. It should be noted that beef short ribs can be butchered in a number of ways, which means you never know what you will find at the market. The recipe below calls for about two pounds of ribs regardless of cut. If possible, buy them bone-in.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef short ribs
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, diced
1 large leek
1 small onion (or half a large onion), diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 fresh Bay leaves
1.5 cups red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups stock, preferably beef but I often use homemade chicken stock

Preheat oven to 325F. Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables. Dice the carrots and onion, and mince the garlic. 

To prepare the leek, slice off the green top and the bottom, then slice down the middle. Cleaning the leek well is critical, they hold a lot of dirt. You can wash the leaves individually by hand under cool water but this can be tedious. I fill a medium bowl with ice water, slice the leeks into one-inch pieces and then place the leeks in the ice water and let them sit. The dirt will sink to the bottom of the bowl, be sure to break up the pieces with your hands so you get all the dirt out.

Next in a Dutch oven (I have a small 3-qt oven I use for cooking for three or fewer people, otherwise I would use my larger 6-qt oven) heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat, until it just starts to smoke. Meanwhile generously salt and pepper the short ribs. When the oil is hot, sear the short ribs for a few minutes on each side until well browned. Remove the short ribs from the Dutch oven and set aside.

Add the carrots, onion, leek and garlic to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables start to brown and are slightly tender.

Add the wine, balsamic vinegar, and Bay leaves to the Dutch oven, bring to a simmer. While that is warming bring the stock to a simmer in a small pot. When the stock is simmering, add it to the wine and vegetables, then add the meat along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate while the meat was resting. Bring everything to a simmer and then place in a preheated oven.

After about two hours, remove from the oven. Discard the Bay leaves. Using tongs remove the meat and set aside. Strain the sauce and vegetables to separate the two. Some people toss the vegetables but I like to eat them. Return the strained sauce to medium heat to reduce. When the sauce has reduced salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite potato dish.

Bon appetit!