Luscious, melt-in-the-mouth short ribs call for robust reds
Above all, choose bone-in meat like ribs or a large piece of meat with firm muscles. Beef short ribs have a lot of fat content and marbling or connective tissue, so they’re a popular choice for hands-off, low-and-slow cooking methods. Braised dishes are slow cooks, designed to melt the interior fat and collagen in tougher cuts of meat. As a result, the collagen breaks down under the heat and long time cook, making the sauce thick and very flavorful.
Slow cooking is like a love that has already begun, which grows stronger with time. With it, every sharpness is smoothed out, doubts are dispelled, impatient anticipation turns into delight, because you know that something very good is coming. In this case, a very delicious combination with wine, for which every moment of waiting is worth it until the last second.
Wine suggestion:
Try pairing this dish with a rich, full-bodied, peppery red wine from Bulgaria, such as BRATANOV 3-BLEND RED Merlot & Cabernet Franc & Rubin.
This intense, full-bodied wine are robust in flavor and high in tannins, making it a perfect counterpart to recipes like Wine Braised Short Ribs, which also calls for a bottle of dry red wine for the braising liquid.
Ingredients for 4 servings
For the ribs:
1.5 kg smaller cuts of rib meat. Short ribs tend to have a layer of fat on top of them
flour for rolling
2-3 Tbs oil or light olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbs chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbs concentrated tomato paste
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, preferably light, with fruity flavors
2 Tsp fish sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the creamy yellow cheese polenta:
200 g cornmeal
1,200 ml water
1 ½ Tsp ground sea salt
50 g butter
60 g grated semi-hard yellow cheese such as mature Gouda, Cheddar, or Gruyere
freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
chopped fresh parsley
grated lemon zest
Preparing the short ribs:
Pat the ribs with kitchen paper and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roll in flour, shaking off excess.
In a large saucepan, preferably cast iron, heat 2 tablespoons of the fat over high heat. Fry the ribs in batches on all sides, about 6 minutes. After that, remove to the side. If necessary, add more fat to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery, sauté for about 5 minutes until softened. In the meantime mix up frequently. Next, add the garlic and herbs. Stir for about 30 seconds until they release their flavors.
After that, blend the tomato puree with the vegetables and stir briefly. Pour the wine into the pan and return the ribs to it. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 25 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180ºC with the top and bottom heat options.
When the mixture has reduced, pour 1 liter of water, enough to almost cover the ribs. Finally, add the fish sauce, season everything with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cook the ribs in the oven for 3 hours.
The nature of the slow cooking style mean dish actually taste better if you make them ahead of time. But, the porridge is made shortly before the dish is served. The preparation is done in a large saucepan, preferably with a double bottom. The water is salted and when it boils, the corn semolina is poured into it. The stove is reduced to medium to low and the porridge is cooked for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. The result should be a thick mixture, but creamy enough. When it is ready, add the butter, cheese and freshly ground black pepper.