Ingredients
- 6 meaty beef short ribs, preferably locally and sustainably raised
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish (or large yellow) onion, peeled, cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 large carrot, scraped, cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 stalks celery, trimmed, cut into ½-inch dice
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1½ cups mild beef, veal or chicken stock, divided
- ½ cup pomegranate molasses
- 8 pitted prunes
Preparation
If possible, begin this recipe 2 days in advance.
The first day, pat ribs dry with paper towels and season liberally with kosher salt. Set ribs on a rack sitting in a pan, loosely cover and refrigerate overnight.
The second day, preheat oven to 325°. Pat ribs dry. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven and sear ribs on all sides until deep brown, about 12 minutes. Remove to a plate and drain the excess fat.
Add onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook over medium heat until they soften and begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well to combine until it caramelizes, about 3–4 minutes more. Add the red wine and stir, loosening and brown bits. Add 1 cup of stock, the pomegranate molasses and prunes and bring to a simmer.
Return ribs to Dutch oven and place atop the vegetables. Cover with a wet piece of parchment paper followed by aluminum foil (or with lid). Place pan in oven for approximately 2 hours, testing every 30 minutes, until the meat yields easily when pierced with a knife.
Remove from oven and immediately remove ribs from pot and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Strain vegetables, reserving pan juices and vegetables separately. Refrigerate everything overnight.
The day of serving, preheat oven to 350°. Place ribs in a roasting pan, open the foil, add remaining ½ cup stock, close foil and warm in oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, discard layer of fat from the pan juices and purée with half the reserved vegetables and bring to a simmer. Check for seasoning. When the ribs are hot, open the foil and place under the broiler for 1–2 minutes to crisp. Serve ribs with Cauliflower and Leek Sformato or creamy polenta (as shown) and ladle the warm sauce over the top.
About this recipe
For Chef Joe's recipe for delicious Cauliflower and Leek Sformato, visit EdibleRhody.com.
