Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg bone-in beef short ribs, English cut, 4–5 cm thick
• 10 g kosher salt
• 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
• 30 ml neutral oil, for browning
• For the mirepoix
• 150 g onion, roughly chopped
• 100 g carrot, roughly chopped
• 100 g celery, roughly chopped
• 750 ml red wine, full-bodied; reduced by half in the pot
• 500 ml beef stock, sufficient to bring liquid halfway up the ribs

Method

1. 1
   Season the short ribs on all surfaces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set a heavy braising vessel — a wide Dutch oven or rondeau — over high heat and film it with oil. When the oil shimmers and begins to smoke lightly, add the ribs in a single uncrowded layer. Brown aggressively on every surface, turning without haste, until a deep, dark Maillard crust has formed on all sides. The crust should be close to mahogany — not merely golden. Remove the ribs and set aside.
2. 2
   Reduce the heat to medium. Add the mirepoix — onion, carrot, and celery — to the fat remaining in the vessel. Sweat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and taken on a little colour. They should smell sweet and cooked through, with no raw edge.
3. 3
   Pour in the red wine and raise the heat. Allow the wine to reduce by half, stirring up any fond from the base of the vessel. The sharp, harsh smell of raw tannin will give way to a rounder, more concentrated aroma — that is the signal to proceed.
4. 4
   Return the ribs to the vessel, bone side down. Add beef stock until the liquid reaches halfway up the sides of the ribs. The upper portion will cook in steam; do not submerge the meat fully. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
5. 5
   Cover the vessel and braise at a low, steady simmer — either on the stovetop or in an oven set to 160 °C — for 3 to 4 hours. The ribs are done when the collagen has fully converted to gelatin: the meat will yield without resistance when pressed and will begin to pull away from the bone. A skewer should meet no opposition.
6. 6
   Lift the ribs carefully from the liquid and hold them warm. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve, pressing the solids lightly. Defat the sauce by skimming the surface thoroughly, or refrigerate until the fat cap solidifies and can be lifted cleanly away.
7. 7
   Return the defatted liquid to a wide saucepan and reduce over high heat, skimming as needed, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and holds a clean line when a finger is drawn across it.
8. 8
   Return the ribs to the sauce to glaze and reheat gently. The finished surface should be glossy and lacquered; the sauce should cling rather than pool.