Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs

SERVES 4 TO 6 • TO PREP 2 TO 2½ HOURS • STORE UP TO 3 DAYS • TO FINISH 1½ HOURS

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Short ribs have great flavor and a luscious texture, but they can release a lot of fat during cooking. When we made this dish in advance, we found that the overnight rest in the refrigerator not only deepened the flavors of the meat and its braising liquid but also allowed the fat to solidify into an easy-to-remove layer. We chose boneless short ribs because they require less prep work, but without the bones’ connective tissue to break down during cooking, our sauce was missing a silky, viscous texture. To restore the body that bones traditionally contribute, we sprinkled a bit of unflavored gelatin into the sauce at the end of cooking. After the initial braise, we stirred chilled broth into the pot to speed up the cooling process and protect the meat from drying out during storing and reheating. Adding the carrots to the pot the next day ensured that they were perfectly cooked and not overdone. To jump-start reheating, we brought the braise to a brief simmer on the stovetop, then finished it gently in the oven, which gave us deeply flavored, fork-tender ribs in a rich, luxurious sauce. Look for ribs that are at least 4 inches long and 1 inch thick. If boneless ribs are unavailable, substitute 7 pounds of bone-in beef short ribs that are at least 4 inches long with 1 inch of meat above the bone, and remove the meat from the bones. We recommend a bold red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon for this dish. Serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes or with roasted potatoes. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

2

cups beef broth

3

pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed

Kosher salt and pepper

1

tablespoon vegetable oil

2

onions, halved and sliced thin

1

tablespoon tomato paste

6

garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

2

cups dry red wine

4

sprigs fresh thyme

1

bay leaf

TO FINISH AND SERVE

4

carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

½

teaspoon unflavored gelatin

¼

cup cold water

TO PREP

1. Refrigerate 1 cup broth. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with 1½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown beef well, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.

2. Add onions to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste browns, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to simmer, and cook until wine is reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add remaining 1 cup broth, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and beef with any accumulated juices and return to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beef is just tender, 1 to 1½ hours, turning meat halfway through cooking. Remove pot from oven and transfer beef to plate. To cool braising liquid, stir in chilled broth and let sit until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

TO STORE

4. Return beef to pot or transfer beef and braising liquid to storage container. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

TO FINISH AND SERVE

5. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Skim excess fat from surface of braise and transfer to Dutch oven, if necessary. Stir in carrots and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beef is tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 45 to 60 minutes, gently turning meat halfway through cooking.

6. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from oven. Using slotted spoon, transfer meat and carrots to platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return braising liquid to now-empty pot, bring to simmer over medium heat, and cook until reduced to 1 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Season with salt and pepper to taste, pour sauce over meat, and serve.