Braised Local Short Ribs

Braised short ribs. Quite possibly the most amazing cut of meat EVER. They are so succulent and tender. The trick to short ribs is cooking them ( repeat after me) low and slow. I had these in the oven for about seven hours and they just came out so perfectly. I don't have a  dutch oven (sigh) so I roasted these in a large roasting pan that I loosely covered with tin foil. If you use a roasting pan keep the oven at 300 degrees F for about 6 hours. If you are cooking for 4 hours I would put it up to 350 F. If you are using a dutch oven then follow this recipe exactly.


The sheer amount of beef I was working with was something I was not used to. I usually cook for one or two so cooking for nine was insane! There was so much beef!Beef that was amazing and local. Ann Marie from Blackbird Farm is the best. You can't go wrong getting beef from a local farmer who puts love and care into her cows. There are no antibiotics or hormones either so you know you are getting a great product.She even has eggs and lamb!And if you pick up the meat at her house you can see the cows! Know your food!

Anyway,a great time to cook these short ribs is on a Sunday morning when you can leave them in the oven all day and be super excited to eat them later. I would love to eat these with some whipped mashed potatoes. Yum. And don't forget to save the pan juices and make a terrific sauce!I used Tyler Florence's recipe and it is divine. Don't get scared if they look fatty for the first few hours. The fat needs to melt a bit so they get super tender. I was actually nervous for awhile and Toby talked me through it. Just remember... low and slow.

Ingredients

Short ribs:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pounds short ribs, in 1 long piece or at least in pairs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large tomato, quartered
• 3 ribs celery
• 1/2 head garlic, peeled
• 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups low-sodium, organic beef stock
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat a cast iron grill or outdoor grill.

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and brown on all sides.

Place the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and tomato into a food processor and blend until you reach a consistent, smooth pulp.

Take a large Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil and add the thyme to infuse the oil. Next add the vegetable pulp, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour in the red wine and stock and bring it to a boil.

Using tongs take the ribs and nestle them into the braising mix; the liquid should just about cover the meat. Place the lid loosely on top, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the meat is very tender, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

When the ribs are about finished, remove about 1 to 2 cups of liquid and strain into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the sauce until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Hello Gorgeous!!!!