#41: Braised Short Ribs
Before I blab about my love for short ribs, I am assigning everyone an easy task. While doing my own research about short ribs I stumbled upon this Youtube video (below) explaining where the cut of meat comes from on a cow. I could paraphrase everything I learned from it but instead, I suggest you give it a quick watch.
Now back to me. As you know, I don’t eat a ton of beef because Marco is allergic. I could make something with beef whenever I want but it’s a pain to cook a double dinner. So the one time I always treat myself to an amazing beef meal is when he is out of town. The three things I go for are rich and meaty pasta sauces, a ribeye steak, or braised short ribs. I enjoy beef in lots of other ways but these are the three that feel indulgent and always special to me.
Another time I will make short ribs is when I am hosting. Besides tasting amazing, braising short ribs is a task that is almost completely hands-off. You put them in the oven for three-ish hours and then use that time to get everything else ready. Your guests are always happy and impressed when in reality all you had to do was brown some meat in a pot. And on this note, I don’t want anyone to be anxious about cooking short ribs. As long as you have great pieces of meat, everyone can successfully brown them in a pan, and your braised short ribs will always turn out tasty.
Like that video mentioned above, not all short ribs are created equal because each part of the ribs is different. Below are two pictures of English cut short ribs, meaning there is one bone with meat on top. That is what we are using today. The ones on the left are from Whole Foods and the ones on the right are from a local butcher here in KC.
Let’s look at the ones on the left first. The three on the top look okay and decently thick but the rest of them are really thin. Two are even laying flat because they were so thin they had a hard time staying up on their side. There is a good layer of fat on these and not really much meat at all. You can braise these but what happens is after all that fat is rendered you will be left with a bone and a few measly bites of meat.
The ones on the right are a little bit longer which is totally fine, that is just how the butcher cut them, but they are also noticeably thicker. On top of each bone, there is a good inch plus of meat and a thin layer of fat. When these short ribs cook down, the fat will render and we will be left with a substantial serving of meat.
Let’s fast forward to when these are done cooking and what they will look like. Below is a close-up of a braised short rib from the butcher. You can see a visible bone with a thick piece of meat on top. That is what we want!
The most important detail about this whole short rib newsletter is to find thick short ribs. Cooking thin fatty ones is a waste of time and money. Trust me, I did it for you guys to see what result I would get and it is disappointing. If you are looking at a case of short ribs and some look thick and some look thin, do not be afraid to ask for specific ones.
I just ordered short ribs from a local farm, Five Mile Farms, and I will share an update when I make them next time.
Now Let’s Cook
This recipe, like most braised short rib recipes, is simple. You will need a large (5qt+) dutch oven. If you do not have a large dutch oven this could be done by browning the meat in a pan and transferring everything to a deep ceramic dish for braising, like how I braise my brisket at Hanukkah. The simplest way with fewer dishes is in a dutch oven.