OVEN BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Oven Braised Short Ribs image

I love recipes that let the oven do the slow cooking for me especially in the cooler weather. Gives a little extra heat to the house and the smell of the braising food will make you crazy all day.

Provided by Marsha Gardner

Categories Ribs

Time 3h

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

6 lb beef short ribs, bone in
2-3 Tbsp olive oil, extra virgin, or more for browning ribs
kosher salt
1 large spanish onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large carrots, scrapped and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 clove garlic, smashed
12 oz tomato paste
2-3 c hearty red wine
2 c water
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2 bay leaves

Steps:

1. Season each short rib generously with salt. In a Dutch oven heat oil.enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables.
3. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a fond has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the pan fond and let it reform. Scrape the fond again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half. Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat.
4. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce.
5. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid. My favorite accompaniment is creamy polenta and green vegetable.