8hr Braised Beef Short Ribs

So the weather is a bit nippy… pair that with the fact that I have been talking about old vine California wines all day and will be opening one this evening, and the equation equals “hmm, I need something with big flavor tonight!” Now I very rarely go to the store with a pre-conceived dish in mind. 98% of the time I wander around and let the ingredients talk to me, usually starting out with the protein and taking it from there. Today was no different with the exception that I knew I wanted something warming and big flavor… So what did the ingredients say to me today?

Beef short ribs.

Man oh man, doesn’t just hearing that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? So now what if I say eight hour braised beef short ribs? Hmmmm… yeah, it just got better, I know. So the final product will be:

Eight hour braised beef short ribs over egg noodles tossed with shiitake mushrooms, shaved brussel sprouts, & white onion, finished with a natural jus and garnished with roasted carrot & parsnip ribbons. Wine this evening will be Carlisle’s 2010 Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel from Sonoma Valley (410 case production, 95pt Wine Advocate).

So here’s the recipe:
*note – Please bear with me, I have always cooked by feel and taste and very rarely measure anything, so writing a recipe is a new territory for me! I’m sure I’ll get better over time… lol. If you have any questions about the recipe feel free to reach out.

Serves 4

2lb  Bone-In Beef Short Ribs

For rub:
2tsp Salt
1tsp Ground black pepper
1tsp Garlic powder

For braise:
2tbsp Olive oil
1 Medium white onion, peeled and diced
6 Garlic cloves
3 Medium parsnips, peeled and diced
3 Medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
3tsp Salt
3tsp Ground black pepper
2tsp Smoked paprika
2tsp Chili powder
2tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
1tsp Cayenne pepper
1tsp Cumin
1tsp Garlic powder
2c Red Wine (I prefer something full bodied)
4c Beef Broth
4c Water
20oz Canned diced tomatoes

For pasta:
12oz Egg Noodles (I prefer broad/hearty style)
2tbsp Unsalted butter
1 Small white onion, peeled and sliced
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
4oz Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
4oz Brussel sprouts, shaved

For garnish:
3 Medium parsnips, peeled and sliced into ribbons longwise using a peeler
3 Medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ribbons longwise using a peeler
1tbsp Olive Oil
1tsp Salt
1tsp Ground black pepper
1tsp Garlic powder

*note – I prefer to use a large sauce pot on the stove for braising as I feel it allows me to maintain greater control over cooking and monitor flavors. If you are using a hotel pan  in the oven you may need to adjust the amount of fluids to make sure that the short ribs are covered during the braise. Also, if you are making a larger serving size for the short ribs you do not need to increase the amounts for the braising ingredients.

Instructions:

Coat the short ribs with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat the 2tbsp of olive oil in a large sauce pot, then sear the short ribs on high heat on all four sides to get a nice crust. Reduce the heat to medium and add your onion, garlic, parsnip, carrot and sweet potato. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and cook on medium heat until they begin to sweat/caramelize. Increase the heat back to high and add your red wine. Allow to reduce until half of the original amount, then add beef stock, water, diced tomato and remaining seasoning. Bring to a boil for five minutes, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 8 hours, periodically stirring. By the end of the braising time the fluids should be approximately half of where they started and the bones will likely have fallen out of the short ribs.

The remaining items can be started when there is approximately 30 minutes left on the braise (assuming prep is done).

Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Toss your parsnip and carrot ribbons with olive oil and seasoning. Place on baking sheet and cook for approximately 20 minutes, periodically stirring the ribbons to promote even cooking. If you see the ribbons starting to burn pull out earlier than the allotted time. Set to the side at room temperature to allow to cool slightly.

Ladle out five cups of the braising fluids and vegetables, liquefy with a blender or hand emulsifier, set to the side.

In a sautee pan melt your butter and add your vegetables for the pasta. Cook at a medium high heat until the mushrooms and sprouts start to brown. Reduce heat to low until needed.

Bring salted water to a boil in a sauce pot for the egg noodles. Cook for three minutes less than the time specified on the package. Drain your noodles and then put back in the now empty sauce pot. Add the 5 cups of liquefied braising jus to your pasta and simmer at a medium heat for 5 minutes. While simmering remove your short ribs from the braise and set aside at room temp to briefly rest. Add your sautéed vegetables into the noodle/jus pot and toss.

Plate your noodles, top with your short ribs and drizzle with jus left in the sauce pot. Top with a nest of the roasted parsnip and carrot ribbons.

Serve with your favorite full bodied red wine and enjoy!!!