Braised Beef Short Ribs ~ A Birthday Eve Dinner!

It's my husband's birthday today and we're super busy - but I couldn't wait to share with you the Braised Beef Short Ribs I made for him last night. After contemplating long and hard over which recipe to use (based on the positive reviews online) I settled on Chef Anne Burrell's.

We enjoyed the Beef Short Ribs over top of steaming hot parmesan polenta and served prosciutto wrapped figs and goat cheese on the side. Unbelievably rich and comforting...the meal was one of the best we've had in a long, long time!

Here, I am enjoying one again for lunch before we head out for our day.  This rib will have to ride solo though - as that polenta is long gone!  Too bad too... because last night...all plated up... these Braised Beef Short Ribs were visually stunning!

*I noted a few things down below you may want to consider if using this recipe. Time was about 3 hours. My photos here do not do these braised Beef Short Ribs justice!

Braised Beef Short Ribs
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell, foodnetwork.com

6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups tomato paste (maybe closer to 1 cup next time?)
2 to 3 cups hearty red wine
2 cups water (we used beef stock)
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2 bay leaves

Directions
Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large 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 F.  (We cooked ours at 325)

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. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud 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. 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. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.