Rosemary and Garlic braised short ribs
I was feeling a bit under the weather after my day of exploring - and almost didn't make this. I had spent much of the day checking out different sites around the South Shore for a project that I'm working on. But, I had already defrosted the meat from the freezer... and there is no turning back once that happens. I'm in the midst of two initiatives: reducing my food waste and eating out of my freezer. This meal satisfied both challenges. Plus, I was able to let this sucker cook in the oven while I took in a really beautiful sunset walk.
- meat // Truth be told, I've been trying to buy short ribs for weeks but it is pretty much impossible in the burbs. Every time I ask, they tell me they are out. I've been to three grocery stores and left empty-handed each time. So, this meat here is actually "tender chuck beef" - not short ribs - but it is the closest I could get ... and I also wanted to see if this cut would be a potential substitute. It worked totally fine.
- red wine // I've always felt like red wine was necessary whenever a recipe called for it - but I didn't feel like opening a bottle of wine. While I'm sure that it would have made a difference, this recipe was still super flavorful without it. Lesson learned!
- onions & rosemary // I can't even describe how amazing the onions turn out. The next time I make this, I will plan to make like 25-30% more. They are just so good after braising for a few hours. Hint? I sliced them rather thin before cooking so they almost like melted away.
- parsnip // this recipe didn't make me a fan of parsnips but I'm willing to give them a shot. It was good to try something new but next time I'll add more flavor to them. Other vegetables can kind of stand on their own a bit better - parsnips seem to need a little extra love (e.g. garlic, spices, parmesan cheese?)
Here's how it goes.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil over medium/high heat in a ceramic coated cast iron pot.
- Sprinkle the meat in coarse salt and pepper and place in the pan.
- Cook until browned and then turn the meat to the other side. After you've done both sides, remove the meat from the pan to a plate.
- Add the onion to the hot pan and saute until onion is translucent, 4-5 minutes. You might need to add just a touch of olive oil to get the process going. Then add in the garlic and saute for a minute.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds, coating the onion.
- Add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Then arrange the meat back in the pan and toss in a few rosemary sprigs.
- Cover the pod with a lid and put in the oven.
- Bake for about 2 hours. Start checking in on it at about 90 minutes to make sure you have just enough liquid left behind for a sauce.
- Pull from the oven and then serve over some veggies. I went with pureed polenta.
- Dice the polenta small to help it cook faster.
- Add polenta to boiling water and cook until tender. Depending on how small you dice, it might be 10-45 minutes. I was really hungry so my small shape helped the process be very fast.
- Drain and add the polenta to the food processor and add in softened butter. Puree the mixture and add in the milk until you get the consistency you are happy with.
Shopping List (for 2 servings) adapted from this recipe
1+ pound boneless Beef Short Ribs
salt and pepper
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 Onion, Sliced thin
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbl tomato paste
2 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
4 Rosemary Sprigs
2 cups parsnip, diced
3 T butter
approx 1/2 cup milk / cream
1 Onion, Sliced thin
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbl tomato paste
2 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
4 Rosemary Sprigs
2 cups parsnip, diced
3 T butter
approx 1/2 cup milk / cream
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