Braised Short Ribs
Winter is here. Time to warm up with red wine braised beef short ribs, served over your choice of starch. We’ve opted for cheesy polenta, but you can just as easily use pasta, mashed potatoes, or even some ricotta gnocchi. The whole dish is brightened up with a quick gremolata* to finish.
This dish is hearty, so a little goes a long way. Make it ahead so that the flavors can meld together in the fridge for a day or so. Since it makes a good amount, don’t be afraid to portion some out into freezer-safe containers. With a thaw and quick reheat, you have a hearty dinner that can be pulled together in minutes. Perhaps after a day of sledding?
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Yield: at least 8 servings
Ingredients
For the short ribs:
4 1/2 to 5 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz. pancetta, chopped to about 1/4” pieces
2 cups baby bella/crimini mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and cut into about 3/4” pieces
3 cups carrots, peeled and chopped to about 1/4” pieces
3 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (26.5 oz.) box of petite cut tomatoes (or a 32 oz. can)
6-8 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
About 5 cups of dry, medium to full-bodied red wine**
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Starch of your choice***
For the quick gremolata*:
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of garlic powder
Microplane grater (recommended for zesting)
Instructions
Place the dutch oven over high heat and add the the olive oil. Heat until the oil is very hot and just begins to smoke. Meanwhile, tie the thyme and rosemary sprigs together into a bundle with kitchen twine and set aside.
Sear all sides of the short ribs until they are well browned. You’ll probably need to do this in batches so that you aren’t crowding the pan. Season the short ribs with kosher salt and black pepper as they brown. Remove the seared short ribs to a plate or tray. I recommend using an oil splatter screen during this step since the oil will likely pop some when you turn the short ribs.
Pour out some of the fat from the pot, leaving about 2-3 tablespoons. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the pancetta. Stir to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pot and brown. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. When the edges of the mushrooms look nicely browned (about 5-6 minutes), remove them from the pot and set aside (you can leave the bits of pancetta in the pot, or remove them as well if its easier). If the pot is looking dry, add in a tablespoon or two of olive oil and allow it to heat up for a minute or two. Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic to the pot during the last minute or so of cooking the onions and carrots. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Time to throw everything back into the pot. Slide the short ribs into the pot with any juices that have gathered on the plate. Add the mushrooms (and pancetta if that was also removed) and any juices that have collected around them as well. Next up, add the tomatoes, wine, and bundle of herbs. Give everything a big stir to combine - do the best you can, as it will be a very full pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours. If you see any foam collect on top, simply skim it off with a spoon and discard. Stir the contents of the pot occasionally while it cooks.
While the beef cooks, make the quick gremolata by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and set in the fridge until serving. Alternatively, if you’re cooking this dish in advance, just make the gremolata on the day you’re serving the short ribs.
At the end of the cooking time, the short ribs should be very tender and will likely have released from the bone. If there is a large visible layer of fat on the top of the pot (there probably will be), you can skim some of this off now with a spoon. Be careful to just get the fat, and not your tasty braising liquid.
Remove the bundle of herb stems from the pot and remove the short ribs and bones to a cutting board. Discard the bones and cut the the short ribs into large pieces. If you see any pieces of gristle that you’d like to remove, feel free to do so. Add the meat back into the pot and give it all a good stir. Taste the braising liquid and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over cheesy polenta, mashed potatoes, pasta, or ricotta gnocchi and top with a bit of the gremolata.
Make ahead: If you’re not serving immediately, transfer the mixture to storage containers and pop in the fridge for up to 4 days (we think its best when allowed to hang out in the fridge together for at least a day - the flavors just continue to meld). You’ll be able to easily remove any excess fat from the top of the container before reheating. To reheat, simply add the mixture to a saucepan or pot and bring to a simmer. Serve as above.
If you’d like to freeze portion of the braised short ribs, simply thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
Notes
*I am well aware that what I’ve called a “gremolata” is not the real deal. Traditionally, it will include fresh garlic, and does not call for lemon juice or olive oil. I opted for just a pinch of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic because I didn’t want to risk any raw garlic flavor battling against the braised short ribs. I also used a bit of lemon juice and olive oil to bring all the flavors together a bit more and to brighten the garnish up a little more. Feel free to use 1 clove of minced fresh garlic if you prefer, and play around with other seasonings, such as a pinch of red pepper flake or Aleppo.
**It is important to choose a red wine for this dish that is on the drier side and is described as a medium to full-bodied wine. Look for flavor descriptions that lean toward deep earthy notes, and less toward light, fruity, or jammy. For purely aesthetic reasons, I’d also recommend that you shy away from any red wines with a strong purple color. Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, Barolo, or Nebbiolo wines would all be good choices. We used an $8.99 Bordeaux blend from Costco, so no need to break the bank on it either.
***We served this over cheesy polenta. I cooked Bob’s Red Mill Polenta according to the package instructions for “Basic Italian Polenta,” up until the step of adding the cheese (we skipped the steps of transferring it into a bowl and allowing it to rest). Additionally, we used an extra tablespoon of butter and 1 cup of shredded fontina instead of 1/2 cup. Season well with salt and pepper. Spread some on a plate and top with a portion of the braised short ribs.
Recommended Equipment
