In Praise of the Braise: Short Ribs

Braised meats are a highlight of winter for me. Nothing makes me happier in the kitchen in the cold months than the long, slow process of turning a tough cut of meat into something fork tender and delicious. The smells alone are worth the effort, though the real payoff is the flavor conjured from slow cooking.

I braise all kinds of meat in winter (more recipes coming!), but short ribs are my favorite. You can get them at your local butcher or order online through purveyors like D'Artagnan. I've adapted my short rib braise in the fashion of the Tuscan dish of Peposa, where the pottery makers traditionally would add boneless meat and aromatics to a terracotta pot, pour in some wine and braise overnight in hot kilns.

My version is different in that I brown bone-in meat thoroughly first. The browning is the key, and it requires patience, but the crust creates the best results for the braise.

You can serve the meat, once braised and shredded, with the juices over pasta, polenta or even make sandwiches (like I do on potato rolls). If you're thinking polenta, here's a quick and creamy recipe to pair with the shredded short rib meat!

Braised Short Ribs

Recipe by Andrew Cotto

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

4

hours 

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 4 pounds 4 bone-in short ribs

• 3/4 cup 3/4 chopped carrots

• 3/4 cup 3/4 chopped onion

• 3/4 cup 3/4 chopped celery

• 1/2 bottle 1/2 dry red wine

• 1/2 cup 1/2 vegetable oil

• salt & pepper

Directions

• On a tray pan, season the short ribs thoroughly with salt & pepper (up to 30 minutes before browning)
• In a large stainless-steel pan or Dutch Oven, heat the oil until it shimmers.
• Brown the short ribs on all sides (about five minutes per side).
• Return the ribs to the tray pan.
• Add the aromatics to the pan, stir and lower the heat to medium.
• Cook the aromatics until they are soft, stirring occasionally (roughly ten minutes).
• Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
• Return the ribs to the pan and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat to a simmer and cover.
• Allow the ribs to braise for four hours (or until they are separating easily from the bone and fork tender).
• Transfer the ribs to a clean plate or bowl.
• Strain the liquid into a bowl and discard the aromatics.
• Separate the fat from the juice (discard the fat; save the juice).
• On a large surface, separate the meat from the bones (discard the bones or save for stock).
• Trim any remaining fat and discard.
• Shred the tender meat and cover with the juice.
• Serve any way you wish!

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