I am so excited about this dish...my friend Sarah shared it in a cooking group in which I'm a member in Facebook. She made some personal adjustments so her kids would eat it.
I decided to use the recipe as a guideline, but also made my own changes and adjustments... This is a keeper and I know I will be making it again...and again...I believe it will work very well with tougher cuts of beef due to the long cooking process
Original recipe link: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/12/braised-beef-short-ribs/
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Vegetables
14 beef short ribs - no bones
1-1/2 Tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon Hawaiian sea salt
3 Tablespoons olive or macadamia oil (I used macnut)
2 medium onions, cubed
4 medium carrots, cubed
6 green onion stalks - some green included (from our garden)
3 stalks celery, cubed or diced
5 garlic cloves, sliced in three, lengthwise
1 sprig fresh bay / laurel - about 5 tip leaves (from our tree)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups beef stock (homemade, from my freezer stash)
3 cups red Vermouth
6 - 7 sprigs of curly parsley (from our garden)
Hawaiian sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
If I had had mushrooms, I would have added some to the veggie mix.
Liberally sprinkle and rub the thyme leaves and pepper all over the sides of each piece of meat. Place in a dish, cover with plastic or foil and refrigerate overnight, until ready to cook the next day.
Take them out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking, to let them come to room temperature, then season with salt on all sides.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat for at least 3 minutes before adding the oil. I used my large SS sauté pan, 12 inches diameter and 3 inches deep. After adding the 3 tablespoons oil wait a minute or so until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the short ribs in the pan and sear on each side until nicely browned; I let them sear until all sides were beginning to caramelize. I had to sear them in 2 batches and although the original recipe says to be thorough and cook for up to 45 minutes, I didn't find I had to cook it that long. I think I took about 10 - 12 minutes per batch. When they are done, transfer to a plate or platter to rest, while the vegetables cook.
Using the same pan to take advantage of the caramelized bits and pieces left from searing the meat, add all of the vegetables, first adding a bit more oil (if needed) and let it heat up again. Sauté all of the vegetables, for about 5 to 8 minutes, just enough to coat everything with the oil and caramelized bit and the onions to start turning a bit translucent and the vegetables start to caramelize on the edges. Place the seared ribs back in the pan.
The balsamic vinegar I use is very thick and syrupy, so I mixed it with the beef stock before adding to the pan. Add the wine and then pour it all in the pan. Add the bay leaves and parsley. Let it come to a boil, cover, turn heat off and place the covered pan in the oven.
Braise for about 3 hours. The meat will be very tender and if you used bone-in short ribs, it should literally fall of the bone. Taste for seasoning and adjust , if needed. Let the meat rest in the pan for a few minutes before serving.
The house smelled heavenly while it was braising...I think the aroma must have been floating all over the neighborhood.
My impressions:This is a wonderful recipe. The meat was very tender and flavorful. I think I used too much beef stock and wine as it never thickened as much as I wanted, but it was still wonderful and since there are only two of us, we had plenty of leftovers.
The first night I served it with rice. The second night with mashed potatoes. The third night I took all of the leftovers, including the rice from the first night, and put everything in the blender. I added a bit of cream and served it as a thick soup (what we Cubans call a potaje) with toasted and buttered artisan bread from one of our local bakeries. A very satisfying dish and I will definitely be making it again, or variations thereof...
