Braised Short Ribs

Short ribs

• beef short ribs2.4 kg
• salt
• black pepper
• vegetable oil2 tbsp
• onions2
• carrots2
• celery sticks2
• garlic cloves6
• tomato paste2 tbsp
• red wine750 ml
• beef stock750 ml
• thyme6 sprigs
• rosemary2 sprigs
• bay leaves2

Gremolata

• flat-leaf parsley (optional)1 handful
• lemons (optional)1
• garlic cloves (optional)1

Short ribs

1. 01

   Heat the oven to 160°C. If the ribs come as a rack, cut between the bones into single-rib pieces. Pat them dry with kitchen paper and season them generously on all sides with salt and black pepper.

2. 02

   Cut the onions, carrots and celery into 1 cm dice. Peel the garlic and crush each clove lightly with the flat of a knife.

3. 03

   Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy ovenproof casserole with a lid, about 28 cm across. Brown the ribs in 2 batches, turning them with tongs, for 10 to 12 minutes a batch, until deep brown on every side, ends included; this crust gives the sauce its colour and much of its flavour. Move them to a plate as they are done, then pour off all but about 2 tbsp of the fat.

4. 04

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the base, until soft and lightly coloured. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens to brick red.

5. 05

   Pour in the wine, bring it to the boil and scrape the base of the pot clean, then let it bubble until reduced by about half, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. 06

   Add the stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Settle the ribs back in, meaty side down, in a single snug layer, and pour in any juices from the plate. The liquid should come about three quarters of the way up the meat. Bring it to a simmer.

7. 07

   Put the lid on and cook in the oven for about 3 hours, until the meat has shrunk back from the bones and a knife slides in with no resistance.

8. 08

   Lift the ribs carefully onto a warm serving dish, as they now fall apart easily, and cover them loosely with foil. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on the vegetables, and discard them with the thyme and rosemary stalks and the bay leaves. Spoon off as much fat from the surface as you can and pour the liquid back into the casserole.

9. 09

   Set the casserole over medium-high heat and boil the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes, until reduced by about a third and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste, season with salt and black pepper, and spoon the sauce over the ribs.

Gremolata

10. 10

    While the sauce reduces, finely chop the parsley. For gremolata, finely grate the zest of the lemon over it, add the garlic, finely chopped, and chop them together until fine. Made any earlier, it loses its fresh edge.

11. 11

    Scatter the gremolata, or just the chopped parsley, over the ribs right before serving.