Low & Slow Short Ribs
Plato Fuerte
Short Ribs are one of my favorite cuts of beef, but because they can be so robust, they almost always require a long cooking time at low temperatures to break through the connective tissues. This recipe uses our house beef stock with a white wine glace with an overnight braise in the oven that will have the whole house smelling like heaven from the moment you wake up. I find that short ribs from a butcher are a lot meatier per bone than those you find in the grocery store, where most of the weight is bones. Save them bones for stock!
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
8 lbs
short ribs
4
shallots
1/2
onion
2
leeks
1
chile serrano
1 bouquet
garni
5 cloves
garlic, minced
3 cups
white wine
3 cups
beef stock
1.5 tbsp
salt
To taste
pepper
2 tbsp
butter
1/4 cup
grape seed oil
Instructions
- Start by dry brining your short ribs with salt and pepper. Let them sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours so that the salt can dissolve and begin to break down the collagen in the tissue.
- Take your ribs from the fridge and sear them with a small amount of grape seed oil on each side until you get a crispy brown coating all over. Do this in several batches and make sure not to crowd your pan or pot. A heavy bottomed pan such as a dutch oven or a cast iron skillet are best for this step.
- Julienne your onions and shallots. Cut your leeks into thin rings, dice your serrano and mince your garlic.
- In the same pot or skillet that you browned your beef, add the butter and let it melt while deglazing the bottom of your pot. Add your onions and shallots until lightly browned. Next add your leeks and let them sweat. Finish with the serrano and garlic and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Add one cup of white wine to the pot and bring to a light simmer. Add one tablespoon of butter and let it reduce until all of the liquid is gone and your vegetables are glazed in the white.
- Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to divide the ribs into two pots or pans to make sure that they are not stacked. I like to use a hotel pan which large enough to accomodate all of the meat.
- Place all of your ribs in your vessel of choice and spoon your glazed mixture on top of the ribs.
- Add another 1-2 cups of wine + 1-2 cups of your beef stock until your ribs are covered halfway. Place a lid on them to ensure your ribs do not dry out while in the oven.
- Braise in the oven at 250 degrees F for 8 hours or overnight. If using at a later time, you can place them in the fridge and reheat them for 1-2 hours at 200 degrees. If fat renders to the top, you can scoop it out and save it.
- Variation: I like to make this recipe in a sous vide bath. If you have one, vacuum your ribs with only your glaze. For medium rare, I cook at 130 degrees F for at least 24 hours and up to 74 hours. This will give you the tenderest result.
- For the sauce here, glaze shallots and garlic in white wine and butter, then add one cup of beef stock and the juices released from your ribs and reduce until the back of a spoon is coated.
- Serve with a creamy potato dish, crisp salad, rice, put into a paste; the possibilities are immense, but you can never go wrong with a tender cut of beef over mashed potatoes.
