Braised Short Ribs

After spending the better part of my afternoon waiting in line at the polls, I'm getting this up much later than I had hoped! But, my civic duty done, here is today's recipe:

A few months ago, my parents gave us a package of beef short ribs. Not caring for them much herself, my mom knew I would find some way to put them to good use! I had never prepared them before, or even eaten them, for that matter, so I turned to the Pioneer Woman as my guide. For one, I've enjoyed every recipe of hers that I've tried, and for another, she's the Pioneer Woman. I thought it safe to assume that someone who lives on the frontier would know how to cook short ribs!

We enjoyed this meal a great deal, but it's one of those "once in a while" type of dishes, as it's quite heavy and messy! I found it to be a bit deceiving in appearance, because I think the presentation has a bit of a rustic elegance about it. When you start it eat it, though, all manners must flee. The meat is so incredibly flavorful and tender, but it is still a rib on a bone and requires some work! We served ours over polenta (creamy, cooked corn meal) which served as a wonderful base for the flavorful juices that ran off of the meat. Mashed potatoes would be equally as delicious.

Enjoy!

Braised Short Ribs

8 whole Beef Short Ribs
Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
6 pieces Pancetta, Diced (**I subbed bacon)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 whole Carrots, Diced
2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced, opt.
2 cups Red Or White Wine (**I used red)
2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth
2 sprigs Thyme (**I used dried herbs, about 1/2 tsp. each)
2 sprigs Rosemary

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks