Ribs That DO NOT Come Up Short

 

As promised in my last post, today’s post will be about the king of braised meats, the short rib.  Short ribs are so fun to cook with because they can wear a million and one different hats.  You can serve them as a main course at a fancy dinner party.  You can wear pajamas and eat them in front of the TV since they are one of the GREATEST comfort foods on the planet.  They meld perfectly with Italian, Latin American, French, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Indian, Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, North African and American flavors.  You can serve them whole.  You can turn them into a delicious meat sauce for pasta, rice, etc.  They are wonderful additions to soups and stews.  I am to short ribs as Bubba is to shrimp, so if permitted, this could go on for a while.  Today I will focus on a Mediterranean-style recipe of my own creation that I am particularly proud.

 

Ingredients –

 

4 large short ribs

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 large shallots, ⅛ inch dice

2 medium carrots (unpeeled), ⅛ inch dice

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

10 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. honey

½ bottle red wine, preferably a Pinot Noir or Beaujolais

1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes

 

A successful braise requires a dedication to layering flavors.  There are few things worse than a flat, monotone braise.  So, on that note, let us begin with the layering.

 

LAYER 1 – SEARING MEAT

 

Liberally season your four short ribs with salt and pepper.  Put a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-proof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  When the olive oil begins to smoke, add the short ribs and brown aggressively on all sides, which should take approximately 10 minutes.  This step is crucial and cannot be overlooked.  Remove the browned short ribs to a plate.

 

At this point there should be some crusty brown bits on the bottom of the pot.  To prevent these bits from burning, add the carrots, shallots, and garlic to the pot, along with another sprinkling of salt and pepper. 

 

LAYER 2 – CARAMELIZING THE VEGETABLES

 

Lower the heat to medium and cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to caramelize, which should take about 10 to 15 minutes.  Caramelizing the vegetables adds sweetness to the dish that counterbalances the fattiness of the meat and the acidity of the tomatoes and wine.  At this point you should preheat the over to 270°F.

 

LAYER 3 – CHOCOLATE DEPTH

 

Add the cocoa to the veggies and give the mixture a few good stirs.  Cocoa brings this braise to a whole new dimension.  It will enrich the color, counter the sweetness of the vegetables and honey with slight bitterness, work harmoniously with the fruity notes of the wine, and add delicate richness unlike that which comes from fat. 

 

LAYER 4 – GROUP HUG

 

 

Now just dump in the tomatoes, wine, thyme, bay leaves, and honey.  At this point another shot of salt and pepper should be added.  Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add the ribs and any juices that may have come out of the meat, cover, and pop into the oven.  Cook for two and half hours AND NO LESS.  You want this meat to be so tender that you can cut it with a spoon, so do not get impatient and pull the ribs early.  Over the course of the cooking period, the menagerie of ingredients will all combine and their flavors will marry, creating not only the most delicious of braised meats, but also a fantastic sauce.  Also, if you don’t plan on eating all of the short ribs right away and end up tucking them away into the fridge overnight, the trust falls, name games and ropes courses will continue in the fridge and the meat will be even better the next day.

 

As far as serving these ribs, I find that the best accompaniments are mashed potatoes spiked with mustard, creamy polenta, or orzo.  Here is how I would serve these ribs with orzo.

 

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add a good pinch of chili flakes and a clove or two of garlic, simply halved lengthwise.  While the garlic and chili flakes toast and flavor the oil, boil up some orzo in liberally salted water and roughly chop a handful of fresh parsley.  When the orzo has finished cooking, remove the garlic from the oil and drain the orzo.  Toss the drained orzo into the skillet of oil along with half of the parsley and give it a good stir.  Plate the orzo, pile on a couple of short ribs and some of the sauce, and top with the remaining parsley.  This dish is just too good for words.

 

Lastly, you will notice that the short ribs will release quite a bit of fat into the braising liquid while it cooks.  Fear not…this is very easy to remove.  Pull the short ribs from the sauce and put the sauce in the fridge, covered, overnight.  In the morning you will see that the fat will be completely solidified on the top and can be very easily removed with a spoon.

 

Be sure to whip up these short ribs on a cold, dreary night.  I am quite confident that they will be some of the best short ribs you will have ever tasted.  Enjoy! 

 

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