Easy Braised Short Ribs
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“Oh, wipe your tears away. Sunday, bloody Sunday.” -U2 on Sunday dinners
For the record, I haven’t always hated Sunday nights. In fact, I even looked forward to them as a kid. My family was pretty traditional. Every Sunday night, my mom would park in the red zone outside California Pizza Kitchen while we picked up enough take-out to feed a small army and then rushed home to watch “Touched by an Angel.”
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, Sunday nights took a nasty turn for the worst. In high school and college, people tend to be stressed about all the homework they should have started much earlier. After college, people start to dread the work week while also frequently living in a shame spiral from their behavior on Friday and Saturday. However, I have found that many of my unemployed and self-employed friends* also experience Sunday night blues. It must be something in the water.**
While most of my friends suffer from “the fear” on Sunday nights, only a select two have a very fancy kitchen in their TriBeCa loft and enjoy fighting “Mr. Scary” in a large group. Therefore, when Mr. Ian Mclean and Mr. William Broadbent asked if I would like to cook a Sunday feast in their apartment last spring, I happily obliged. There was much debate over the menu, but I finally settled on some seriously comforting classics: braised beef short ribs with caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, and brussel sprouts with bacon. Do not be intimidated by the short ribs aspect of this meal. People will tell you short ribs should be marinated over night, braised for a thousand hours, etc. etc. These things are all true, but I have rendered them unnecessary. My version is idiot-proof, and it can be done in three hours. Those three hours can be spent in the fetal position, drinking wine, watching music videos, or any other Sunday afternoon activity of your choosing!
Dinner was a fabulous affair despite the large number of guests wearing sweatpants (which was almost forgiven based on their hangovers/anxiety levels). Between the food, the candlelight, and the guests’ willingness to hug each other at a moment’s notice, the fear was kept at bay until we were all forced to go to our respective homes. GREAT SUCCESS! I would like to thank the lovely Annabel, who provided some sort of epic brownie-like dessert:
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| Always accept someone’s offer to bring dessert. DUH. |
And thank you to Ian and Will, our gracious hosts. Despite the delay in this post, I very much appreciate your generosity. And your flower arranging skills:
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| Nice stems. #boyswithflowers |
Top five tips for fighting THE FEAR:
1. Never be alone. There is safety in numbers. And more people to hug you.
2. Eat homemade comfort food. Lots of it.
3. Employ soft lighting. There are too many reasons for this to list. Candlelight is preferable.
4. Ask other people about their weekends. This is a fun distraction and encourages group bonding. Also, there is a large chance that this will make you feel better about yourself.
5. Watch MTV Hits. Some people may make an argument for 60 Minutes. They will always lose.
*I’m obviously referring to myself
**vodka
EASY Braised Beef Short Ribs with Caramelized onions: (Serves 8)
Preparing your Short Ribs:
-Season your short ribs with salt and pepper.
-Heat a tbsp olive oil in a pan. When very hot, add the short ribs in batches and cook until browned well on all sides. Use new oil with each batch.
-Chop the vegetables into mirepoix (fancy chef term for a medium dice). Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a LARGE pot over medium/low heat. Add the vegetables and sweat. After five minutes add the smashed garlic. Sweat another five minutes.
-Add the wine and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Skim any impurities from the surface (aka any foam, fat, etc.).
Cooking your short ribs:
-Add the short ribs to the simmering cooking liquid.
-Cover the short ribs and simmer for at least 3 hours, the longer the better. You can also do this in a crockpot if you have one (I do not. Santa???). Periodically skim any impurities from the surface.
*While your short ribs are cooking, prepare your glazed onions
-When your meat has finished braising, carefully remove the meat from the pot (it falls apart VERY easily) and place it in a baking dish. Cover with foil.
-Strain about 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a saucepan and reduce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste it. I sometimes add a tsp of sugar for a little extra sweetness. If it needs salt, add a pinch of that too.
-Pour the sauce over the short ribs add the glazed onions. Heat in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes until hot. Serve and DAZZLE your friends with how effing delicious these are.
*Preparing your glazed onions:
-Peel your pearl onions. Chefs tip: Soak the pearl onions in warm water for ten minutes. Remove from the water and push on the root end of each onion. The onion will pop out of its skin.
-Place onions in a small pot with the butter and a pinch of salt. Add water to cover the onions. Simmer until the onions are cooked through and most of the water has evaporated. (If they aren’t tender yet, add more water as needed.)
-Add the sugar and swirl the pot to coat the onions, allow them to caramelize (they will get pretty and golden brown!) and remove from the heat. Watch these! I have burnt these many times…
Signature Mashed Potatoes: (Serves 8)
*For recipe see: “Don’t Have a Hernia, but I invited 24 people to dinner…”
Roasted Carrots: (Serves 8)
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| Serve the vegetables together on a printed serving platter. These are fun to collect and make everything look fancy. |
Preparing your Carrots:
-Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
-Peel your carrots and remove the stems.
-Place carrots in a baking pan/dish and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. -Place the smashed garlic in the pan along with the thyme. (Just put them anywhere, don’t stress.)
-Roast carrots in the oven for approximately 35-45 minutes or until tender, turning every ten minutes. I like mine very soft and a little charred, so I leave mine in for at least 45 minutes.
Preparing your Brussel Sprouts:
-Rinse your sprouts well, remove the stems, and cut them in half.
-Place your sprouts in a baking pan. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Make sure to spread your sprouts in a single layer in the baking pan before roasting.
-Preheat your oven to 400.
-Roast your brussel sprouts for approximately 20 minutes or until tender, turning once.
-While your sprouts are roasting, cook 4 pieces of bacon in a pan over medium heat until crisp and brown. When cooked, place the bacon between paper towels to remove excess grease. Allow the bacon to cool.
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| I’m sure you know how to cook bacon. But I’ve found people generally like pictures of bacon. |
-Before serving, place the roasted brussel sprouts in a pan over medium heat. I like to sprinkle a tsp of sugar over the sprouts for a little bit of caramelization. Crumble the bacon over the sprouts and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the sprouts and bacon are hot.
*These are DOPE. Even people not fussy on brussel sprouts love these bad boys. It’s the bacon.
Ingredients
- 8 Boneless Beef Short Ribs approx 2.5-3 lbs
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 large carrots
- 1 Celery stalk
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 bottles red wine I like to use pinot noir. No need to break the bank on your wine choice
- 1 ½ cups low sodium beef stock you can also use chicken stock if you’d like
- 1 tsp sugar if needed
For the caramelized pearl onions:
- -2 cups pear onions
- -water
- -1 tbsp butter
- -1 tbsp sugar
- -Salt to taste
Instructions
- Season your short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat a tbsp olive oil in a pan. When very hot, add the short ribs in batches and cook until browned well on all sides. Use new oil with each batch.
- Chop the vegetables into mirepoix (fancy chef term for a medium dice). Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a LARGE pot over medium/low heat. Add the vegetables and sweat. After five minutes add the smashed garlic. Sweat another five minutes.
- Add the wine and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Skim any impurities from the surface (aka any foam, fat, etc.).
- Add the short ribs to the simmering cooking liquid. Cover and simmer for at least 3 hours, the longer the better. You can also do this in a crockpot if you have one. Periodically skim any impurities from the surface.
- While your short ribs are cooking, prepare your glazed onions. When your meat has finished braising, carefully remove the meat from the pot (it falls apart VERY easily) and place it in a baking dish. Cover with foil.
- Strain about 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a saucepan and reduce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste it. I sometimes add a tsp of sugar for a little extra sweetness. If it needs salt, add a pinch of that too.
- Pour the sauce over the short ribs add the glazed onions. Heat in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes until hot. Serve hot.
Preparing your glazed onions:
- Peel your pearl onions. Chefs tip: Soak the pearl onions in warm water for ten minutes. Remove from the water and push on the root end of each onion. The onion will pop out of its skin.
- Place onions in a small pot with the butter and a pinch of salt. Add water to cover the onions. Simmer until the onions are cooked through and most of the water has evaporated. (If they aren't tender yet, add more water as needed.)
- Add the sugar and swirl the pot to coat the onions, allow them to caramelize (they will get pretty and golden brown!) and remove from the heat.
Ingredients
- 8 Boneless Beef Short Ribs approx 2.5-3 lbs
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 large carrots
- 1 Celery stalk
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 bottles red wine I like to use pinot noir. No need to break the bank on your wine choice
- 1 ½ cups low sodium beef stock you can also use chicken stock if you’d like
- 1 tsp sugar if needed
For the caramelized pearl onions:
- -2 cups pear onions
- -water
- -1 tbsp butter
- -1 tbsp sugar
- -Salt to taste
Instructions
- Season your short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat a tbsp olive oil in a pan. When very hot, add the short ribs in batches and cook until browned well on all sides. Use new oil with each batch.
- Chop the vegetables into mirepoix (fancy chef term for a medium dice). Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a LARGE pot over medium/low heat. Add the vegetables and sweat. After five minutes add the smashed garlic. Sweat another five minutes.
- Add the wine and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Skim any impurities from the surface (aka any foam, fat, etc.).
- Add the short ribs to the simmering cooking liquid. Cover and simmer for at least 3 hours, the longer the better. You can also do this in a crockpot if you have one. Periodically skim any impurities from the surface.
- While your short ribs are cooking, prepare your glazed onions. When your meat has finished braising, carefully remove the meat from the pot (it falls apart VERY easily) and place it in a baking dish. Cover with foil.
- Strain about 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a saucepan and reduce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste it. I sometimes add a tsp of sugar for a little extra sweetness. If it needs salt, add a pinch of that too.
- Pour the sauce over the short ribs add the glazed onions. Heat in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes until hot. Serve hot.
Preparing your glazed onions:
- Peel your pearl onions. Chefs tip: Soak the pearl onions in warm water for ten minutes. Remove from the water and push on the root end of each onion. The onion will pop out of its skin.
- Place onions in a small pot with the butter and a pinch of salt. Add water to cover the onions. Simmer until the onions are cooked through and most of the water has evaporated. (If they aren't tender yet, add more water as needed.)
- Add the sugar and swirl the pot to coat the onions, allow them to caramelize (they will get pretty and golden brown!) and remove from the heat.
Ingredients
- 8 Boneless Beef Short Ribs approx 2.5-3 lbs
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 large carrots
- 1 Celery stalk
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 bottles red wine I like to use pinot noir. No need to break the bank on your wine choice
- 1 ½ cups low sodium beef stock you can also use chicken stock if you’d like
- 1 tsp sugar if needed
For the caramelized pearl onions:
- -2 cups pear onions
- -water
- -1 tbsp butter
- -1 tbsp sugar
- -Salt to taste
Instructions
- Season your short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat a tbsp olive oil in a pan. When very hot, add the short ribs in batches and cook until browned well on all sides. Use new oil with each batch.
- Chop the vegetables into mirepoix (fancy chef term for a medium dice). Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a LARGE pot over medium/low heat. Add the vegetables and sweat. After five minutes add the smashed garlic. Sweat another five minutes.
- Add the wine and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Skim any impurities from the surface (aka any foam, fat, etc.).
- Add the short ribs to the simmering cooking liquid. Cover and simmer for at least 3 hours, the longer the better. You can also do this in a crockpot if you have one. Periodically skim any impurities from the surface.
- While your short ribs are cooking, prepare your glazed onions. When your meat has finished braising, carefully remove the meat from the pot (it falls apart VERY easily) and place it in a baking dish. Cover with foil.
- Strain about 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a saucepan and reduce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste it. I sometimes add a tsp of sugar for a little extra sweetness. If it needs salt, add a pinch of that too.
- Pour the sauce over the short ribs add the glazed onions. Heat in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes until hot. Serve hot.
Preparing your glazed onions:
- Peel your pearl onions. Chefs tip: Soak the pearl onions in warm water for ten minutes. Remove from the water and push on the root end of each onion. The onion will pop out of its skin.
- Place onions in a small pot with the butter and a pinch of salt. Add water to cover the onions. Simmer until the onions are cooked through and most of the water has evaporated. (If they aren't tender yet, add more water as needed.)
- Add the sugar and swirl the pot to coat the onions, allow them to caramelize (they will get pretty and golden brown!) and remove from the heat.
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