Braised Short Ribs

Last year, some friends and I decided to start a little supper club where we make a fun, fabulous and kinda gourmet meal once a month. When it was my turn to host, I had a heck of a time coming up with a main dish to make. I wanted to make something I had never attempted before, something meaty and something hearty.

When I decided on braised short ribs I had no clue how much I would love them. No stinkin' clue. I didn't even realize until I bought the meat, that I had never even eaten this particular cut of meat before. What in the world is that about? How is that possible? If you fall into that category- you must make these or beg someone else to make them for you this fall/winter!

One of the things I read while finding a recipe, on the smitten kitchen website, was that this is a dish to make whenever people come over. I was skeptical, but she was so very right. I'm going to make if for just us one day, but for now it's my go-to whenever we have people coming over. It hasn't failed me yet!

A secret, shh, these make great leftovers. Make more than you think you will need, not much, but maybe throw an extra rib or two in there (I budget two ribs per person). Take them for lunch the next day and make everyone at work jealous. Or eat them for dinner, either way, enjoying them later is so fabulous. They taste amazing. I threw some pasta in my leftovers to make a.. what do you call that? Amazing! That's what.

Braised Short Ribs
from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

8 whole beef short ribs

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

6 pieces pancetta, diced

2 tbsps olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

2  shallots, peeled and finely minced

2 cups wine (red or white)

2 cups beef or chicken broth (enough to pretty much cover the ribs)

2 sprigs thyme (don’t you love the word ‘sprig’?)

2 sprigs rosemary

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge-or roll around-in flour. Casually set them off to the side, as if it’s totally normal to have such wonderful meat in your midst.

In a large dutch oven, cook the diced pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Take the pancetta out of the pot and save it for later. Also- Also!- save that grease in the pan. 

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, and the orignal recipe suggest they could brown up in 45 seconds but I say just go with your eyes and nose. You’ll be able to smell them browning up and see it like crazy. I brown them in batches, setting the browned ribs on a plate while I transfer the dredged ones into the hot pan. When you are done browning them all up, turn the heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for just a few minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release the good stuff from the bottom of the pan. Right now you are so glad that you used that pancetta earlier, aren’t you? Bring all the goodness to a boil and cook 2 minutes. 

Now add the broth to cover the ribs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you like. Add the ribs to the liquid. They should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid. 

Put on the lid and place the dutch oven 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 a bit so you can remove a bit of the fat from the top before you serve it. Pass on two ribs for each person, great with mashed potatoes! 

Enjoy!

-m