Chef Jason Lynch's Gravy Ready Braised Short Ribs

From Chef Jason Lynch's Straight from the Line

Note: Short ribs are one of my favorite cuts of meat.  I love them best sliced across 3-4 ribs - thin for marinating and grilling and about 1.5" thick for braising and in hearty soups. I've made them a bazillion different ways - some successful, others not so much.   But this one actually took my breath away when I lifted the cover after three hours.  The aroma of all the herbs, garlic and vegetables was insane - or as my grandsons would say when something is spectacularly wonderful - RIDICULOUS!!!!!  But what was even more surprising was the gravy.   Normally when braising, the juices are - well... delicious as they may be... juices.   And if you want to make a gravy, you stil have work to do.   Not with Chef Jason's recipe.  The first step is critical - tossing the ribs in in seasoned flour before searing them! 

Note:  Don't rush the searing process - it is the longest step, but take your time.  Make sure your pan is hot before adding the ribs; Don't crowd the hot pan; Let the ribs sit for 3 minutes before checking to see if they are well browned and ready to turn; Continue to sear the other side for 3 minutes and remove from the pan.  Repeat until all your ribs are seared. 

Printable Recipe

Prep time:40-45 minutesCooking time: 3 1/2 hours or so
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
salt & freshly ground pepper
4.5- 5 lb/2.2 kg beef short ribs  (I like mine cut across 4 ribs, about 1.5" thick, with lots of meat on the bones)
4 tbsp olive oil, divided (I actually used grapeseed oil)
2 medium red onions, cut into 1" pieces (or roughly chopped)
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 celery rib, cut into 1/2" pieced
3 large cloves of garlic, smashed or minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp, fresh thyme leaves, (I give them a chop or two also)
2 cups full-bodied red wine
2 cups chicken stock (since I was out I used my homemade roasted vegetable stock) 
2 cups diced roma tomatoes with their juice (I use a 19oz/398ml tin of diced fire roasted tomatoes and their juice)
1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar (this time I used Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar from Liquid Gold - a cool tasting bar for all things olive and vinegar)

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C and place the rack at the lower position. .  

2. Mix the flour, salt & pepper in a large zip lock bag and toss the ribs in to coat them.  Do this in batches, so all of the ribs get some coating.  Knock of the excess flour and set the dusted ribs aside while preparing the other batches.

3. My personal step to make the rest of the prep work easy:   Prepare all the ingredients in the order they will be added to the pot.   For this one I chopped the onions, carrots and celery and placed them in one bowl.  In a small prep bowl, combine the crushed garlic and herbs.  Premeasure wine in one cup, stock & vinegar in another and have the tomatoes ready.  

4. Pat the ribs dry and toss them in the flour mixture (see my note at the top).  

5. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide, heavy bottom pot (I have an old cast iron roasting pan that I used as I wanted to have the ribs spread out as much as possible) over medium-high heat.  Brown the ribs in hot oil (3 minutes or so per side, but it might be less or longer, depending on the thickness and length of your ribs) Remember not to crowd the ribs or check for sear too soon.  Rule of thumb:  Using tongs, the meat will easily come off the bottom of the pan only when the sear has taken.  Lift too early and you will only succeed in removing the coating.   BE PATIENT!   Remember not to stuff the pot, you want your ribs to sear, not boil and for that they need room.   Once the ribs are done, remove the batch to a platter and repeat the slow process, until the last of the ribs are seared.

6.  There should be very little oil left in the pot, but if there is, spill it out before adding another 2 tbsp of oil to the hot pot.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just softened and beginning to brown (ab out 10 minutes).

7. Add the garlic and herb and cook, stirring frequently until the aroma hits you and you are transported - less than 2 minutes!  Add the wine, stir once and allow to come to a boil.  Let it reduce to half ( at least 5 minutes, maybe longer).  Add the stock, tomatoes and vinegar and bring to a simmer (soft bubbles).

8.  Return the ribs to the pot.  I like to try and spread them out so there is no more than two layers of meat, but not to worry if you need to do an extra layer.  Just make sure the ribs are covered with sauce.   

9.  Cover the pot/roasting pan with a well fitting lid or two layers of heavy duty foil, sealing the pot as best you can.   Place the pot in the oven and braise until the ribs are fork tender (about 3-3.5 hours).  

The book tells you to use a slotted spoon to remove ribs and transfer them to a large serving bowl.  Let the cooking liquid stand briefly and skim fat from top.   But there wasn't any extra fat in my batch and the gravy/sauce was thick and perfectly seasoned.   All I had to do was serve it with something delicious to sop up the gravy... could be rice, pasta or,mashed potatoes...or as  I did, mashed sweet potatoes & carrots with as side of broccoli.  

Updated: Susan's Korean Style BBQ Short Ribs

Original Recipe and photo from Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories, Recipes to Warm the Heart and updated with ideas from Food52

Printable Recipe

Makes 2 cups or enough to marinate 8-10 strips of ribs
Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinate: 4-24 hours
Grill time: 5-6 minutes

Makes 1½ cups or enough to marinate 8-10 strips of ribs

Ingredients:Miami style short ribs ( cut very thin - 1/4" or .5cm), 4 strips / person
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp freshly grated gingerroot

Directions: 
1. Place ribs, flat in a zip lock baggie or large baking dish. Combine sake and apple juice and  pour over the ribs.  Marinate for 2 hours in the fridge. 

2. Pour the sake, apple juice mixture into a medium sized bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Pour this mixture back into the baggie and make sure the ribs are well coated.  Marinate ribs for at least 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in fridge. Turn ribs a couple of times so that all the ribs will soak up the marinade.

3. Broil 2-3 minutes per side on BBQ or broiler rack in oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes to tenderize further. It is a tough cut of meat without the marinating and resting.

Braised Beef Short Ribs - Hunter's Style

Braised Beef Short Ribs Hunter's Style
From fineCooking Magazine

Printable Recipe

For other options – including how to customize your own braise, my three year old grandson, made an awesome choice to be tried after this one.

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Braising time: 2 ½ -3 hours
Ruth’s tip: because short ribs are so fatty, I like to make them the day before serving and keep them in the fridge to harden the fat, for easy removal.
Final reheating time: 30 minutes or so

Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 ½ - 5lb/ 2-2 ¼ kg British style short beef short ribs – about 2-3” long(8-12 ribs)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to season
2 cups total onions, carrots, fennel root (my choice) or celery, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
1-2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ oz/14g dried mushrooms, steeped in hot water & coarsely chopped – reserve the liquid
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup vermouth
1 cup mushroom soaking liquid
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 tbsp fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. Choose an 8 quart/litre Dutch oven. If you’re lucky, you own an enamel coated cast iron roaster. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium heat. The pan should be hot before searing the meat.

2. Searing - Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add as many ribs as will fit in the pan without crowding or overlapping. ( I seared them in three batches) Cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides (3-4 minutes or so per side – the meat will no longer stick to the pan). Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan.

3. Cooking aromatics - Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the aromatics (onion, carrots, fennel root). Season with ½ tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the aromatics are soft and lightly browned (about 6-8 minutes).

4. Adding spices, herbs & flavor boosters - Add the thyme, paprika, tomato paste, dried mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring until well distributed and fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).

5. Deglaze the pot – pour vermouth into the pot and cook stirring to scrape up browned bits on the bottom and until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp (about 1 minute).

6. Braising - Add all the ribs and juices to the pot, and pour the broth, red wine, and mushroom soaking liquid over the ribs as evenly as possible. The ribs should never be more than two layers deep. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes until they are fork tender (about 2 ½ hours).

7. Best advice from fineCooking and me…cook this at least several hours in advance (my suggestion, the day before) and allow to cool to room temperature and then place overnight in the fridge. This allows the fat to congeal and you can scoop it off the meat and vegetables very easily. To reheat, arrange the meat to fit snugly in a baking dish, cover with foil and place in a preheated 350°F/170°C oven and reheat the sauce on top of the stove.

8. Finish and serve: transfer the ribs to a serving platter. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes and skim off any remaining fat. Season sauce to taste and finish with a sprinkling of parsley.

Black Eyed Pea & Short Rib Soup

Black Eyed Peas & Short Rib Soup

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15-20 minutes – (plus soak the black-eyed peas overnight in lots of water)
Cooking time: 2-3 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 cup black-eyed peas ( other options: cattle beans, navy beans)
1 tbsp olive oil
1lb/450g beef short ribs
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 parsnip, finely chopped
1 quart vegetable or beef broth
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Soak the split peas overnight in lots of water. Drain and rinse well.

2. Fill a large Dutch oven with water, a bay leaf and a sprig of thyme, add the drained peas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until they are soft – about 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

3. Using the same Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat and sear the short ribs on all sides. They are ready to turn when they no longer stick to the bottom of the pot. This keeps the juices from leaking and the meat soft and tender. Once the short ribs are browned, set aside.

4. Lower the heat to medium and add the carrots, onion and parsnip, scraping up the stuck on bits of meat at the bottom, cooking/sweating the vegetables until they are soft and translucent. Return the meat and the peas to the pot and add the broth, thyme, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for at least 2 hours. The peas should be very soft.

5. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and using an immersion blender, if you have one, puree the soup. I like this soup on the coarse side, so I leave some of the black-eyed peas whole for more texture. That said, I really mash it up when my grandsons are over…they like it velvety smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender or food processor, doing it in batches until you’re happy with the consistency.

6. Return the meat to the soup, heat and serve.

Braised Short Ribs in Sherry

Braised Short Ribs in Sherry
From Bon Appetit March 2009 Issue

Prep time: 20 minutes
Stove top cooking time: 20 minutes
Roasting time: 2 ½ hours
Fridge time: overnight (this sets the flavors and brings easy to remove fat to the surface)
Reheat time: 15-20 minutes on top of the stove

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
5lb/2.2kg meaty short ribs (actually the store only had 1.5 lb, so I used blade steak – good for stew - cut in 2” pieces as well)
Vegetable oil (just enough to coat the bottom during searing and a splash or two for the onions)
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (BA calls for celery, but since it’s not my fave, I often substitute with fennel which gives a lovely subtle flavor that keeps everyone guessing)
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and whacked (BA says “pressed” but since I wasn’t sure if that meant put through a garlic press or just pressed by the side of a knife releasing some of the juices)
2 large bay leaves
1 cup medium dry sherry
4 cups beef broth

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/175°C

2. Heat a very thin coating of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, sear the meat on all sides. Remove each batch as it browns and set aside.

3. Lower the heat to medium and add a little more oil to the bottom of the same pot and sauté the onions, fennel and carrots for about 20 minutes. They should be lightly browned. Add the garlic and bay leaves and stir for about 1 minute…just until the fragrance hits you.

4. Place the meat on top of the vegetables and pour the sherry over top. Bring to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth, give it a stir, bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven.

5. Braise in the oven for about 2-2 ½ hours. The meat should be tender. Remove from oven.

6. Chill uncovered until the stew is really cool and then cover and chill in fridge overnight.

7. Remove from the fridge and remove the layer of fat that has hardened. Reheat on top of the stove over medium-low heat, covered. Stir occasionally for about 15 minutes or until meat is heated through.

8. Transfer meat to a platter and keep warm (cover with aluminum foil or place in a warm oven) while you prepare the sauce.

Sauce:
1. Strain mixture, keeping the liquid and discarding any solids that can't be pressed through the sieve.

2. Return liquid to pot and simmer rapidly to thicken slightly. (This did take more than five minutes.) Taste for seasoning and pour over the ribs.

Great served with mashed sweet potatoes or a mix of potatoes and carrots to sop up the sauce. Some buttered tubular pasta would work too.