Braised Short Ribs

When I think about comfort food, the first thing that comes to my mind is definitely Braised Short Ribs. It is the perfect dish for those days when you just want something soothing, full of flavor, and deliciousness but also something that you dont have to put so much work on and its done simple.

INGRIDIENTS

3 tablespoons of beef tallow, but you can also use pork fat, cooking olive oil, or butter.

1 yellow onion, diced

3 carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 shallot

1 whole garlic (just cut off the top part)

7 or 8 whole beef short ribs, bone-in

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 bottle of red wine (Merlot or Port)

1 cup of beef broth

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Fresh oregano leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid, heat one tablespoon of beef tallow over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, celery, and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper on all sides, add 2 more tablespoons of beef tallow to the pot and turn heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate and add the entire garlic, making sure you cut the top part of the garlic and put it upside down. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits of flavor. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Add beef broth, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed.

Add ribs, veggies, and (whole) sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot, then add the oregano leaves.

Cover with the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be very tender, nearly falling off the bone.

Remove the pot from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top of the liquid before serving.

Serve ribs over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of the sauce from the pot and enjoy.

NOTE

One of my favorite hacks is to add baking paper inside the pot on top of the ribs and then add the lid. This helps to not dry out your sauce too much.