Our family tries to get together every Sunday for family dinner. I frequently volunteer to cook; it’s my opportunity to try new, fancy recipes that I would never have time to make during the week and would be too intimidated to make for the first time for a dinner party. This recipe took a bit of prep work, but once it goes in the oven, that’s it. Which means I have time to prepare the rest of the meal. I loved these short ribs and will definitely be making them again.
Time: 3 hours
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
For the Short Ribs:
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut into 4-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
- (750 ml) bottle of Barolo or Nebbiolo wine
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (3-inch) piece of Parmigiano Reggiano Rind
For the Salad:
- 1 fennel bulb, stalks removed, shaved thin on a mandoline
- 1 cup baby arugula, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using butcher’s twine, tie the herb sprigs and bay leaf together in a bundle and set it aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Dry the short ribs well with paper towels and season them evenly with two teaspoons of the salt. Dredge each rib in the flour, shaking off the excess, and place them in the hot pan. Sear the meat until evenly browned on all sides, about twelve minutes total. Remove the meat to a plate.
- To the same pan, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Season with the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, for four minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to soften and brown slightly. Add the tomato paste and stir for an additional three minutes to caramelize; it will turn a deep red colour. Add the wine and bring it to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for five minutes, or until the wine is slightly reduced. Add the broth, herb bundle, and cheese rind, and return to a simmer. Nestle the meat in the pan, adding any juices that accumulated on the plate. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for approximately two and a half hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Remove the ribs to a plate. Skim the fat off the surface and discard it, along with the herb bundle and cheese rind. Return the meat to the sauce and spoon some sauce over the ribs to coat them.
- In a medium bowl toss together the shaved fennel, arugula, lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
- Serve each short rib with a spoonful of sauce and top with some of the fennel salad.
Notes:
- Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.
