Braised Short Ribs
Ever since I tried braised short ribs for the first time at The Waterfield Kitchen in Winchester, I've always wanted to try and replicate it. The dish they serve is the absolutely best - juicy, moist, and buttery - would definitely recommend trying it at some point! This was my first attempt, and certainly didn't compare to the one I had at TWK, but it still turned out really good!
Active Time: 40 min
Total Time: 4 hr
Ingredients
> Short ribs
> Onion, carrot, celery, garlic
> Red wine, tomato paste, beef stock
> Bay leaf, thyme, parsley
> Salt, black pepper, olive oil
Instructions
1. Prep: roughly chop onion, carrot, and celery. Peel and lightly crush garlic. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the short ribs.
2. In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Thoroughly brown all sides of the short ribs. According to Gordon Ramsay, "No color, no flavor!" Set aside short ribs.
3. Reduce heat to medium, and cook the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for around 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Prepare the braising liquid: Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. Add red wine, beef stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Thoroughly scrape the bottom to ensure the caramelized bits from the short ribs are incorporated into the braising liquid. Bring up to a boil.
5. Return short ribs along with any accumulated juices into pot. Cover and bring heat down to a simmer. Cook for at least several hours.
6. Test doneness by running a fork through the short ribs — they should be fork tender. Serve on top of mashed potatoes, polenta, risotto, cauliflower puree, or whatever else you prefer.
7. Make a sauce by taking some braising liquid and reducing it down until the desired consistency is achieved, and spoon it over the short ribs. Top with a little chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> It's very important that you cook this slowly on low heat. Do not try to cheat the time. Short rib has a lot of connective tissue. Slow, gentle cooking is the best way to turn that into a juicy delight.
> Most recipes actually cook the short rib in the oven instead of on the stovetop. Cooking in the oven probably works better, but since my pot isn't oven-safe I couldn't do this.
> The amount of the ingredients depends largely on the size of your pot, so adjust accordingly. In general, when braising you want the meat to be partially and not fully submerged in the braising liquid.