Beef short ribs are a favorite in many a restaurant. They can be cooked, portioned and served very attractively as a glazed cube of deliciousness, or they can be cooked, pulled and mixed with the sauce for an amazing (and possibly messy) sandwich or taco - the next level for a sloppy Joe. Short ribs benefit greatly from sous-vide if you have the capability as they can cool down and be moved without risking them breaking up, but are still superb done traditionally - you just need to be careful because once they are cooked, they will do everything they can to fall apart - it's part of the appeal in the eating, but a bit finicky when portioning for an attractive presentation. I recommend portioning after cooking - it's a large piece of meat and the tissues will want to move around a bit and get comfortable during the cooking - a perfect cube of raw short rib will not come out that way, but once cooked, it will keep just about any shape you like as long as it's heated up gently. You can cook these traditionally bone in if you like, but if you sous-vide bone in, be careful the bones don't pierce the bag. If you take the bone out, just make sure you make a stock so you haven't lost that flavour.
You will need:
4.4lbs / 2kg beef short rib
4 onions - chopped
2 carrots - chopped
2 stalks celery - chopped
6 cloves garlic - crushed
4Tbs / 60ml tomato paste
2C / 500ml red wine
3qt / 3L beef stock
2 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
8 parsley stems
2Tbs / 30ml sherry vinegar
2Tbs / 25g brown sugar
6 cloves
to taste black pepper
to taste salt
to taste dry rub spices - cumin, paprika
Method:
- clean up the short rib if it's not already - remove excessive fat, but little bits are good
- if removing the ribs themselves, take them off, roast them and make a stock
- give the meat a good dry rub with cumin, paprika, pepper - whatever else you like, just no salt yet
- let the meat rest a day if you can - it'll also give you time to make a stock if needed
- get a large pan hot with some oil, season the rib well with salt and sear all sides to a nice dark colour
- saute the mirepoix in the same pan, adding the garlic after the other vegetables have started to colour
- add the tomato paste and keep colouring
- keep the mirepoix in the pan, deglaze with the wine and let it reduce slightly
- add the sugar, vinegar, herbs, cloves and stock
Note: At this point if you are using the sous-vide method, you will want to cool your braising liquid down completely. Place the short ribs in the bag (or bags) and spread the vegetables around the meat evenly. Add enough liquid to surround the meat, then save the rest for making sauce later. Seal on a looser setting so the contents of the bag don't blow out, then set your water bath for 183F / 84C if you want to cook for 6 hours, 172F / 78C for a 12 hour cook, or go totally nuts and set it for 136.5F / 58C and cook for 3 days! Once done, cool the ribs down completely in an ice bath, then pick up the method at the point when the traditional braise has rested a day in the fridge. You will probably want the unused braising liquid to add to the liquid from the bags when making the sauce.
- set your oven to 275F / 180C
- add the sort ribs to the braising liquid and gently bring up to a low simmer
- cover the pan and place in the oven for 4-5 hours
- gently check the meat, if it is tender, pull it out and set on a rack to cool in the liquid - if you can place the pan itself in an ice bath - better
- cool the ribs completely and let them rest in the liquid in the fridge for a day
- take the fat off the broth, remove the ribs and set aside
- bring the broth up to heat and strain through your finest seive or cheesecloth
- start reducing the liquid to a sauce
- cut your ribs to portion size
- when your sauce is ready, you can reheat the portions in it
- transfer the portions to the plate and glaze with a bit more sauce
- enjoy
- add the sugar, vinegar, herbs, cloves and stock
Note: At this point if you are using the sous-vide method, you will want to cool your braising liquid down completely. Place the short ribs in the bag (or bags) and spread the vegetables around the meat evenly. Add enough liquid to surround the meat, then save the rest for making sauce later. Seal on a looser setting so the contents of the bag don't blow out, then set your water bath for 183F / 84C if you want to cook for 6 hours, 172F / 78C for a 12 hour cook, or go totally nuts and set it for 136.5F / 58C and cook for 3 days! Once done, cool the ribs down completely in an ice bath, then pick up the method at the point when the traditional braise has rested a day in the fridge. You will probably want the unused braising liquid to add to the liquid from the bags when making the sauce.
- set your oven to 275F / 180C
- add the sort ribs to the braising liquid and gently bring up to a low simmer
- cover the pan and place in the oven for 4-5 hours
- gently check the meat, if it is tender, pull it out and set on a rack to cool in the liquid - if you can place the pan itself in an ice bath - better
- cool the ribs completely and let them rest in the liquid in the fridge for a day
- take the fat off the broth, remove the ribs and set aside
- bring the broth up to heat and strain through your finest seive or cheesecloth
- start reducing the liquid to a sauce
- cut your ribs to portion size
- when your sauce is ready, you can reheat the portions in it
- transfer the portions to the plate and glaze with a bit more sauce
- enjoy
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