Braised Short Ribs
I don't crave red meat very often, with the exception of these tender, juicy, flavorful, falling-off-the bone short ribs. They are divine. The ribs virtually cook themselves. So you can get them ready (15 minutes is all it takes), throw them in the oven and paint the family room while you're waiting. (Seriously. That's exactly what I did on Sunday afternoon while they braised away at 325°F for four hours!) I looked in on them once or twice to turn the ribs and check the liquid level, but they need little to no assistance. There are two ways we love to eat them--as Short Rib Tacos (recipe below from Epicurious) or served atop creamy polenta or mashed potatoes. If you've never made them before, do so. You'll thank me.
Note: I typically double the recipe below, as leftovers are a must.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
3 - 5 tablespoons canola oil (I prefer olive oil)
2 lbs. short ribs
2 - 3 shallots, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper for seasoning, (I also use a few teaspoons of seasoning mix that contains sea salt, red pepper, fennel seed, dehydrated garlic, peppercorns.)
Prepared horseradish (I use Bubbies)
Couple of teaspoons flour
1/2 cup of wine
1 quart beef stock
2 - 3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/3 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Couple of chipotle peppers (canned peppers with a little of the adobo sauce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey
4 carrots, peeled, halved and then quartered
Warm soft corn or flour tortillas
Guacamole, chopped onion, chopped cilantro
Preparation
Heat oil in large, heavy dutch oven and either heat oven to 425°F or start your grill if you'd like to do the long slow cook on the grill. (I highly recommend this method!)
Rinse short ribs, pat dry, and sprinkle salt, pepper and seasoning mix on all sides. Rub generously with prepared horseradish, then sprinkle with flour so that all sides are lightly coated.
Add beef to heated pan and sear well on all sides -- you really want to get a good coating on the beef. If the coating sticks to the pan, don't worry, it will deglaze.
Add chopped shallots and garlic to pan. Deglaze with wine and let it cook down a bit. Add chipotle peppers and tomato paste, then beef stock, spices and honey. Stir well, bring up to a simmer, cover and place in oven or on grill.
If cooking in oven, reduce heat after 20 - 25 minutes and cook at 300° - 325°F for about four hours. If cooking on grill, place on grill, cover and cook low and slow for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
With one hour to go, add carrots to pot, stir in and cover; continue to cook for about 45 minutes to one hour.
After about four hours, beef will be easy to pull apart and liquid will have cooked down to rich, spicy jus. (I strain the liquid at this point to remove the fat.)
Pull beef apart (and rid of any fatty/tough membrane) and serve with jus, warm tortillas, and toppings.
