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Eric Vellend
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Short ribs, long braise

December 12, 2007 12:35 PM
 
 
Short ribs are one tough cut of beef, but when cooked low and slow in an aromatic liquid, they become unbelievably succulent. Like all braises, this recipe is labour intensive. But made a day or two in advance, come suppertime it's as easy as heating up a TV dinner. Perfect for the Christmas feast.

For consistently excellent short ribs - a.k.a. flanken - visit Norton Foods (892 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-789-2921).

Braised short ribs

Yield: 6 servings

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs thyme

4 sprigs Italian parsley

6 thick bone-in short ribs (about one pound each)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, cut into chunks

1 large carrot, cut into chunks

1 celery stalk, cut into chunks

1 head garlic

1 cup dry red wine

3 to 4 cups homemade unsalted meat stock, kept hot

salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a deep roasting pan that will hold the short ribs in one layer, place the bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Heat your oven to 400 F.

Pat the short ribs dry with paper towel and season salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a high heat. When the oil is hot, add the short ribs - you may have to do this in two batches. Sear the short ribs on all three meaty sides until golden brown. Place the ribs on the bed of herbs.

Tip off all but two tablespoons of the fat. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring often until browned. Join the vegetables and garlic with the meat, filling any gaps in the pan. Add the red wine to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Boil the wine until reduced by half and pour it over the meat. Pour in enough hot stock to just cover the ribs. Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil and place in the oven. After about 20 minutes - you should hear some bubbling - turn the oven down to 275 F.

Cook until the meat is fork tender; start checking after three hours. When the ribs are done, remove the foil and cool for 30 minutes. Using tongs and a metal spatula, carefully transfer the short ribs to a baking tray to cool.

Pass the braising liquid through fine mesh strainer into a medium pot. Bring the liquid to a boil while carefully skimming off the fat and scum with a ladle. Reduce the sauce until it has thickened a bit and is tasty. Remove from the heat and cool.

Once the meat has cooled, removed the bones and gristle so each piece is a neat rectangle. Cut each rectangle in half and carefully transfer to a pan that will hold them in one layer. Pour the cooled sauce over them, cover with foil and refrigerate.

To serve, heat your oven to 350 F. Bake the short ribs, covered, for 30 minutes, or until hot. Serve with mashed potatoes and something green.