Braised Short Ribs ProvenÇal Food

PROVENçAL BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Add half of the ribs to the pot (or as many as will fit without overlap), and cook, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, leeks, carrots, and celery to the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the aromatics are soft and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the olives, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaves, and rosemary, and cook, stirring, until well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour the brandy into the pot and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until the liquid is reduced to about 2 Tbs., about 1 minute. Transfer all the ribs (and any juices that have accumulated) back into the pot. Pour the red wine and chicken broth and 1 cup water over the ribs and using tongs, arrange the ribs as evenly as possible and no more than two layers deep. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs about every 40 minutes, until they are fork tender, about 2-3/4 hours. (The meat may fall off most of the bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean that the ribs are fully tender.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the ribs with the sauce spooned over, sprinkled with chopped basil.

SHORT RIBS PROVENçAL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, the wine, onions, carrots, garlic and thyme. Use a vegetable peeler to cut 3 3-inch strips of orange peel and add them, along with juice of orange. Season with salt and pepper. Add short ribs, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove meat from marinade and pat dry on paper towels. Strain marinade into a large measuring cup. Reserve vegetables.
• Heat remaining oil in a 4-quart casserole. Add meat, a few pieces at a time, and lightly brown. Remove to a bowl.
• Add reserved onions and garlic to casserole, lower heat and cook until starting to brown. Add herbes de Provence. Return meat to casserole with reserved thyme, carrots and orange peel. Pour in 11/4 cups marinade. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, lower heat, cover and cook 3 hours. Moisten with more marinade if needed.
• Skim excess fat from surface, check seasoning, stir in tomato pesto or paste and serve from casserole.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Salt and pepper the ribs, then dredge them in the flour. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until completely crispy and all the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon and set aside. Drain off any excess fat.
• Add the olive oil to the pan with the bacon fat and raise the heat to high. Brown the ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove the ribs and set aside.
• Lower the heat to medium. Add the carrots, shallots and onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Splash in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Add the broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add the ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid. Finally, add the cooked bacon.
• Put on a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook until the ribs are fork-tender and falling off the bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes with the lid on before serving. At the last minute, skim the fat off the top of the liquid. (You can also refrigerate the mixture, then remove the solid fat from the top.)
• For each serving, arrange 2 ribs on a bed of the grits, spooning a little juice over the top.
• Cook the grits according to the package instructions, adding the salt with the water. Turn off the heat just before the grits are done.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. To temper the eggs before adding them to the hot grits, throw a couple of spoonfuls of the hot grits into the eggs. Begin stirring immediately and continue stirring until the mixture is well combined.
• Pour the egg mixture into the grits. Stir constantly to incorporate the eggs into the grits. Add the butter and stir until melted. Next, add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the cayenne and garlic and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt or cayenne if necessary. You could also add more cheese if you think that will bring happiness to your life, but keep in mind that some cheeses increase the salt content more than others.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and pour the grits into the dish. Bake until the grits are hot and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. The grits will become firmer as they cool.

SHORT RIBS PROVENçALE

Steps:

• 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F.
• 2. Heat the oil in a large (at least 6-quart) Dutch oven or flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with the salt and pepper. In batches, without crowding, add the short ribs to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the ribs to a platter.
• 3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pot. Add the onion, chopped carrot, and celery to the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, herbes de Provence, and flour and stir until the garlic gives off its aroma, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the broth, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Return the short ribs, and any juices, to the pot. Add cold water as needed to barely reach the top of the ribs and bring to a boil over high heat.
• 4. Cover tightly, transfer to the oven, and bake, stirring occasionally to change the position of the ribs, until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, about 2 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes, add the baby carrots.
• 5. Transfer the short ribs to a deep serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Skim off the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid, and discard the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to a sauce consistency, about 10 minutes (the exact time depends on the size of the pot). Add the olives and cook to heat them through, about 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• 6. Spoon the sauce with the carrots over the ribs, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve hot.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup flour, salt and ground black pepper. Roll the ribs in the seasoned flour.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and brown the ribs well on all sides. Pour in 1 cup boiling water, tomatoes, and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary.
• Place the potatoes, onions, and carrots in the pot. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until all vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving platter.
• In a separate small bowl, dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons water for every one cup liquid remaining in the pot. Add this to the pot and stir well until thickened. Pour over meat and vegetables.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Toss ribs in flour mixture until well coated; shake off excess.
• In a 5- to 8-quart Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot, heat oil over medium-high. Cook ribs in two batches, turning until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate.
• Add carrots and onions to pot. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until vegetables are lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine, broth, thyme, and tomatoes (breaking them up). Arrange ribs in pot; bring liquid to a boil. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook 1 hour. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; cook until fork-tender (but not falling apart), about 1 hour more.
• Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer ribs to a plate. Moisten with cooking liquid; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Strain remaining liquid through a fine-mesh sieve (discard solids); return to pot. Bring to a boil; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to about 2 cups, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve ribs with sauce. (Or return to pot, let cool slightly, cover, and refrigerator up to 1 day.)

VERMOUTH-BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• If you have time, the night before or several hours before cooking, season the meat generously with the salt and pepper (you will need at least a tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper). Wrap and refrigerate until needed. (You could do this just before cooking, if necessary.)
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Working in batches, arrange as many of the short ribs as fit comfortably in a single layer and brown on all sides. Take your time with this and let them get good and brown, and don't crowd the pot or else they will steam and never develop a tasty, caramelized crust. Transfer the ribs to a bowl once they have browned, and add more oil to the pot as needed.
• Add another 2 tablespoons of the oil to the pot if it looks dry, and stir in the chopped shallots, garlic, leeks, celery and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until softened, about 7 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the wine, chicken broth and vermouth, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Arrange the short ribs in the liquid in the pot. Using kitchen twine, tie together the thyme, parsley stems and rosemary, and drop into the pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer on the stove, then cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook, turning the ribs every 45 minutes or so, until the meat is tender but not yet falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Add the carrots and let cook until tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the short ribs and most of the carrots. Discard the herb bunch. Bring the liquid to a simmer, reducing it until it thickens slightly. If serving right away, spoon off some of the fat from the surface of the sauce. Or pour the sauce back over the meat and chill overnight in the pot, then spoon off the fat. Reheat if necessary.
• To serve, combine the sliced shallots, vinegar and honey in a bowl. Place short ribs on a platter and top with some of the sauce. Sprinkle with the flaky salt, chives, mint, parsley leaves and celery leaves, and scatter the shallots and vinegar mixture over the top.

THE BEST BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

SLOW COOKER BRAISED PROVENCAL SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan set at medium high heat, saute the onions, carrots and garlic in one tablespoons (15ml) olive oil until soft.
• Transfer to a slow cooker.
• Add remaining olive oil to the skillet and brown the ribs on both sides.
• Place the ribs in the slow cooker.
• Add the 1 can of plum tomatoes into the slow cooker.
• In a small bowl, stir together the broth, wine, flour, thyme, and bay leaf.
• Pour into the hot skillet, stir to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom and then pour into the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 5 hours or until ribs are very tender.
• Discard the bay leaf.
• Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

RIAD'S BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Tie each short rib with kitchen string, and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and brown short ribs on each side. Remove short ribs, and cook carrots, celery, onions, and shallots until onions and shallots turn golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and flour, and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• Return short ribs to the pot, and deglaze with port and red wine. Cook until wine is reduced by 2/3. To make the bouquet garni, bunch rosemary, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together, and tie the bundle with kitchen string. Add bouquet garni, garlic, and stock to pot. Bring to a boil, and cover. Transfer to oven, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 3 hours.
• Transfer short ribs to large platter. Strain sauce through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a medium-size saucepan. Reduce sauce over medium heat until it thickens to a gravylike consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste, spoon sauce over short ribs, and serve.

PROVENçAL SHORT RIBS WITH OLIVES AND HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third.
• Stir together flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Pat ribs dry and lightly dredge in flour mixture, knocking off excess.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown ribs in 3 batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer as browned to a platter. Discard fat from pot.
• Cook onions, carrots, and celery in remaining 2 tablespoons oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add garlic and herbs and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is softened and fragrant, 2 minutes.
• Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 8 minutes, then stir in broth, tomatoes with juice, and vinegar and bring to a simmer.
• Return ribs to pot. Cover with the lid, then place in oven, and braise until ribs are fork-tender, 3 to 3 1/4 hours.
• Transfer ribs with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Let cooking liquid stand briefly, then skim fat from top. Stir in olives. Adjust seasoning to taste, if necessary.
• Return meat to pot. Grate zest from orange over top just before serving.