Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes
Beef Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine
- Prep time
- 45 minutes PT45M
- Cook time
- 3–4 hours PT4H
- Yield
- 4–6 servings
- Difficulty
Enjoy tender braised short ribs served over creamy polenta for a delicious combination of flavors and textures. Try this recipe using our Fresh to Market Angus Beef Short Ribs.
Ingredients
Short Ribs:
- 4 pounds bone-in short ribs, 2–3 inches thick
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bottle dry red wine (750 mL)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 strip orange peel
Polenta:
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ cup polenta
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chiffonade
Gremolata:
- 1 small bunch parsley, washed and leaves chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Zest of 2 lemons
Preparation
Season short ribs liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large enameled Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides until browned and crusty, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
Pour off drippings, reserve 3 tablespoons and add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook over medium heat, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add tomato paste, allow to cook for 5 minutes, add wine and deglaze. Add thyme and chicken stock, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat down to low. Add short ribs, including any accumulated juices, back to the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid ajar and cook on low, or in a 300°F oven on the center rack. After 2 hours, add orange peel and allow to cook for ½–1 hour more until meat is tender. Transfer meat to a sheet pan, discard bones.
Strain sauce into a heatproof bowl, and skim off as much fat as possible. Pour sauce into another pot, reduce down to 2 cups over high heat.
For the polenta, bring milk, water, salt and white pepper to a rolling boil. Add the polenta and whisk vigorously on high heat until it begins to thicken. The longer you are able to cook the polenta on high, the creamier it will be when finished. When the polenta just starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, reduce the heat to very low and cover. Stir every 5–10 minutes, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking. Let the polenta cook for approximately 35–45 minutes or until it is no longer grainy and the cornmeal is tender. Once polenta is tender, whisk in the Parmesan cheese, butter and parsley and reserve warm.
For the gremolata, combine parsley, garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
To finish the meat, preheat broiler. Broil meat on a sheet pan until glazed and sizzling, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice.
Serve short ribs and polenta in a shallow bowl or pasta dish, finished with a drizzle of sauce and a sprinkle of gremolata.
Techniques used in this recipe:
- braise
- braise: a cooking method in which the main item, usually meat, is seared in fat, then simmered in stock or another liquid in a covered vessel.
- sear
- sear: to brown the surface of food in fat over high heat before finishing by another method (for example, braising) in order to add flavor.
- coat
- coat: to sprinkle food with, or dip it into, egg, flour, chocolate, sauce, etc.
Glossary:
- bay leaves
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Sweet Bay of Laurel is native to the Mediterranean region where it grows to an evergreen tree up to 40-feet high. It is found extensively in the milder climates of North America; the leaf of the California Bay Laurel is long and tapered, bright green in color, and extremely pungent - from two to three time more pungent than that of the European variety.
The uses of Bay are many and varied. Eggs, meats, game, soups, casseroles, and sauce benefit from the judicious use of this herb; use it sparingly, however, for it is dominant by nature.
- parsley
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A low-growing biennial belonging to the celery family. The nativity of this popular herb is rather obscure, but it was definitely known as early as the the third century B.C. Two variteties dominate the culinary world - Italian, also known as flat-leaf and curly.
Parsley is used to season fresh sauces as well as cooked foods. Chimichurri, a popular South American condiment, is made of minced fresh parsley, garlic and olive oil. Use in basting and barbecue sauces for broiled or grilled fishes, roast poultry, pork, steaks, sausages, and chops. Add to tossed greens for salads, to vegetables, potatoes and a variety of dressings. It is also added to butter to make compound butters, tomato sauces, tartar sauce and green sauces.
- tarragon
-
An attractive bright-green perennial, attains a height of approximately 18-inches. In the United States, commerical production of tarragon is centered in California.
Tarragon has a delicate "licorice-like" quality. It leaves are 1 to 1 1/2-inches long and not much more than 1/8 to 1/4-inch wide. It compliments shellfish, fish, eggs, dressings, vinaigrettes, and vegetables best.
- thyme
-
The leaf of a bushy, low-growing perennial native to southern Europe; it belongs to the mint family. Principal producing areas are California and France. There are many varieties of thyme but two are primarily used - French Thyme and variegated or Lemon Thyme which is characterized by its fragrant, lemony aroma.
Thyme leaves flavor a wide range of dishes - from soups and stews to poultry and meats to sauces and vegetables. Try sautéing snap pea pods in olive oil with fresh thyme leaves and minced lemon zest; season with sea salt and cracked black pepper just prior to serving.
Pair with
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Shiraz
This leading red grape of Australia, much like the French Syrah, makes seductive, mouthfilling wines filled with fruit flavors. Shiraz is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a mouthfilling, dry red wine packed with jammy blackberry, boysenberry and plummy fruit flavors. It can be quite thick, chewy and extremely dark in color.
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Tempranillo
Spain's most famous grape! Produces a refined wine that bursts with cherries when young. It is typically aged for two years or more, at which point Tempranillo takes on an earthy, sweet vanillan flavor.