Braised Red Wine Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta

Directions

1Preheat oven to 325° F.

2Generously season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper.

3Heat a large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add short ribs and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer short ribs to a plate and return pan to heat.

4Add onion, celery, and carrots to hot pan. Saute to let the vegetables begin to soften and pick up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. Add red wine and stir, scraping up any more browned bits that remain in the pan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes. Add stock and thyme sprigs. Add short ribs back to the pan. (Note: The short ribs should be mostly covered with liquid, with just the tops uncovered. Add a bit more stock or water if more than half of the short ribs are uncovered.)

5Place the lid on the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, until the meat of the short ribs easily falls off the bone, 2.5 to 3 hours. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Do either of the following two optional steps or jump down to make the polenta.

6Optional Step 1: If you'd like to get a crisp exterior on the short ribs (which is a great complement to the tender, juicy interior, remove short ribs from their cooking liquid and transfer to a sheet pan. Turn on the oven's broiler. Place the sheet pan at least 6 inches under the heat source and broil just until crisp on the top, about 5 minutes (watch them closely so they don't burn).

7Optional Step 2: If you'd like to make a pan sauce, run the cooking liquid through a strainer (discard any solids from the vegetables and meat) and return the liquid to the pan. Simmer until the pan sauce reduces significantly, about 10 minutes. If you'd like a thicker gravy-style sauce, whisk 2 tablespoons of flour with ¼ cup hot water and add that to the simmering pan sauce.

8While the meat rests, make the polenta by bringing milk, water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. While whisking the liquid, slowly add polenta. Continue whisking until the polenta begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to a low simmer and continue simmering until the polenta is thick but still creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter and parmesan cheese until fully incorporated.

9Spoon polenta into serving bowls. Top each serving with short ribs and cooking liquid. Enjoy!

NOTES

1Don't worry about using an exact weight on the short ribs. Because these are bone-in, they may weigh a bit more or less than listed in the recipe. I usually aim to buy one large short rib or two small per person. If in doubt, buy a bit extra. You won't regret it.