Braised Short Ribs with Polenta
These short ribs are braised low and slow in the oven for hours - making your house smell amazing and leaving you with nothing to do but pour yourself a glass of wine and relax while the magic happens
These short ribs are braised in the oven for hours and then topped with the red wine reduction sauce that has simmered with the short ribs for hours. The end result - a dish comes out so juicy and tender so every bite melts in your mouth. The creamy and cheesy polenta goes so well and soaks up the delicious sauce.
This is a great recipe to make for company because you can have most of the word done long before anyone arrives. That lets you just enjoy everyone’s company while still having have an amazing and impressive home cooked meal. The ultimate host’s dream!
Have any questions? Join my chat and I’ll help you out! I’m just a text away!
Psst….Some Secrets Before You Start
Make sure you give your pan time to preheat properly. This is vital in making your stainless steel nonstick while making these braise short ribs! Also check out my video for tip on how to properly clean your stainless steel.
To remove the fat from the sauce, you have two options.
Option 1: Add ice to the sauce. It will freeze the fat and stick to the ice. Then, use a slated spoon to remove the ice the with the ice will come out the fat.
Option 2: Use a fat separator.You will know your short ribs are done when the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone easily and your fork should slide right through.
If you want an alcohol free option, you can just use alcohol-free red wine (Giesen has a great selection) or beef or chicken broth instead.
You can always swap the polenta out for mashed potatoes or whatever side you like if you’re not a polenta fan.
The Perfect Pairings
Not sure what to pair with this dish - I got you 😉
Start your evening with a vanilla and cinnamon London Mule. It's vibrant, slightly spicy and very aromatic and will pair with my Dirty Ginger Beurre Blanc Scallops as an appetizer. I always say you should have a nice side salad with almost all dinners and my go to salad always my Arugula Fennel Salad is perfect for these rich Braised Short Ribs. Finish your night with a Berry Panna Cotta dessert, which can be made days ahead and is perfect for company.
Braised Short Ribs and Polenta
Prep: 25 minutes. - Cook: 30 hours - Braise in the Oven: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 55 minutes - Servings: 2
Equipment
1 large pan
1 sauce pan or pot
1 baking sheet
1 fat separator optional
1 strainer
Ingredients
Short Ribs
8-10 short ribs
2-3 bone marrow bones
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves
4 oz tomato paste
375 ml bottle cabernet
2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
2 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ bunch parsley
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
2 dried chipotle peppers
Polenta
1 cup polenta
4 cups milk
1 cup water, or broth for extra flavor
¾ cup aged cheddar, shredded
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp butter, cold
Chives, for topping
Instructions
Short Ribs
Preheat your oven to 400℉. Preheat your pan for 2 minutes on medium heat and then turn it up to medium high and heat for 1 more minute.
Season your short ribs on all sides with seasoning salt.
Rub your bone marrow bone with ½ of the tomato paste (2 oz) and roast at 400℉ for 10 minutes.
Add oil to your pan and sear your short ribs until golden on all sides. Remove from pan.
Add veggies and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the tomato paste and spices. Cook 3-4 minutes.
Deglaze with wine, soy sauce and balsamic. Season to taste here.
Add in short ribs, bone marrow, bunch parsley and enough water to cover most of the short ribs.
Cover and braise in the oven at 300℉ for 3-4 hours or until tender.
Remove ribs and strain out veggies, pressing them through the strainer so it forms a paste and thickens the sauce.
Remove the fat by either adding ice and letting it solidify or by using a separator. See the How to Prepare section if you need further instruction.
Add short ribs back to the sauce for 5 minutes. Remove them. Reduce sauce by half. Season to taste. Turn heat off and whisk in 3-4 tbsp cold butter.
Add the polenta to a plate. Top with your tender braised short ribs. Top with sauce, chives and that is it!
Polenta
Bring the water (or broth) and milk to a simmer.
Add the polenta to the pot and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add cheddar, salt, pepper, and heavy cream. Mix well.
Turn off the heat and add the butter.
Nadia’s Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Calories: 808kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 44g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 1168mg, Potassium: 968mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 6693IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 514mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.