Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Polenta is a dish that is so delicious, you are going to want to make this one over and over.
Short ribs used to be an ingredient that intimidated me. But after making this dish, I realized they are easy to prepare. You just have to be patient with the cooking time. The meat for this recipe will fall off the bone. And the gravy…..well you will want to drink it with a spoon. It is that good. Restaurant quality right in your kitchen. Trust me you will be so proud of yourself after you make this one.
Braised Short Ribs
with Creamy Polenta
(Serves 7)
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 lbs of Bone In (individually cut) Short Ribs
4 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Pepper
1 ⅓ Small Onions – diced
4 Carrots – Peeled and diced
5 Garlic cloves – sliced thinly
⅓ Cup Flour
3 cups of Beef Broth
2 ½ cups of Red Wine
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp. Chopped Rosemary
2 Bay Leaves
1 ⅓ Cups Quick Cooking Polenta
1 ¼ Cup Whole Milk
½ cup Grated Pecorino or Reggiano
2 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Parsley
Season each short rib with salt and pepper on all sides. You will use about 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper for this. In a Dutch oven or a pan that can be put in the oven, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add a few short ribs at a time. Sear until they are browned on each side. Turn using thongs (about 3 minutes). Remove from the pan, put on a plate and add more short ribs to the pan. Continue this until all the short ribs are cooked. Preheat the oven to 325°
Next, add 1 Tbsp of olive oils to the pan. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about three minutes on a low to medium flame. Then add the carrots. Sprinkle the flour in the pan over the carrot mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon, cooking the flour slightly. Add the wine and the broth. Add the tomato paste, the bay leaves, rosemary, 2 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. pepper.. Combine well. Cook until it begins to simmer almost to a boil. Add the short ribs back to the pan. Put the cover on the pan and put it in the oven. Every half hour turn the short ribs and make sure they’re coated in the broth. Cook for about 2 1/2 hours until the meat is cooked through. Once they are cooked, remove from the oven. Remove the short ribs from the pan. Let it stand for 15 minutes and remove any excess fat from the top of the pan.
Now it’s time to cook the polenta. In a pan combine 3 cups of water, the milk, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring this mixture to a boil and whisk in the polenta over low to medium heat. Continue to whisk until the polenta thickens. Add the cheese and the fresh parsley. In the meantime, reheat the gravy and add the short ribs back to the pan. In a bowl put about 1 cup of the polenta and top with the short ribs and gravy and serve immediately.