Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta

This meal was ridiculously good.

I love short ribs.  And all braised meat.  I have been waiting for a special occasion to make this meal and finally made it for my and Scot's "holiday dinner".  When combined with the goat cheese polenta, I am telling you, you will not be able to imagine anything better.

The meat just falls off the bone.  The sauce turns into a reduction of beef broth and red wine with all the chopped veggies.  And I really like the carrots.  Since the sauce reduces so much, it is very strong and pretty salty, but you just want to put a little over the top and it is perfect.

We finished off the dinner, sipped on egg nog, and exchanged gifts.  It was a wonderful way to celebrate.

Braised Short Ribs
slightly adapted from Pioneer Women

4-8 beef short ribs (about 4 lbs, depends on how they are butchered)

kosher salt & pepper, to taste

1/4 cups flour

4 strips bacon, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 whole medium onion, diced

3 whole carrots, diced

2 whole shallots, peeled and finely minced

2 cups red or white wine

2-4 cups beef broth (enough to almost cover ribs)

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the bacon grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.  Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.  Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta (recipe below), spooning a little juice over the top.

Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta

adapted from Pioneer Women

3/4 cup fine cornmeal or polenta

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 tablespoons butter

2 ounces goat cheese

Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add cornmeal to the water in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for a few minutes, adding salt and extra tablespoons of water or cornmeal, as needed. When polenta is done, stir in butter and goat cheese. Check seasonings, and add salt to taste. Serve with your favorite meat main course. Yummy!

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 3 hrs, Difficulty: Easy)

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foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  10/10

Scot (taste):  10/10

Effort:  4/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5