Braised Beef Short Ribs with Root Vegetables

An American-style braise built around well-browned beef short ribs, aromatic vegetables, red wine, stock, and winter roots. The ribs finish tender enough to cut with a fork, while the vegetables absorb the braising liquid and hold their shape. Serve with the reduced braising sauce spooned over the top.

By Julienne

Cook time: 150 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 6 g kosher salt divided
• 2 g black pepper divided
• 20 g all-purpose flour for light dredging
• 20 ml neutral oil divided
• 1500 g beef short ribs, bone-in trimmed of excess surface fat and patted dry
• 10 ml neutral oil divided
• 200 g yellow onion cut into 2 cm pieces
• 240 g carrots cut into 5 cm pieces
• 200 g parsnips cut into 5 cm pieces
• 20 g garlic cloves minced
• 30 g tomato paste none
• 360 ml dry red wine none
• 500 ml beef stock preferably low-sodium
• 2 count bay leaf whole
• 4 count fresh thyme sprigs tied with kitchen twine or left whole
• 4 g kosher salt divided
• 1 g black pepper divided
• 300 g Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 4 cm chunks
• 10 ml apple cider vinegar for finishing
• 10 g flat-leaf parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 160°C. Pat the short ribs dry, then season them with 6 g of the salt and 2 g of the pepper. Dust lightly with the flour, shaking off excess. The ribs are evenly seasoned and lightly coated, with no dry flour patches.
2. Heat 20 ml of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs in batches on all sides, adding more surface contact than speed; transfer browned ribs to a plate. The ribs are deeply browned on several sides and the pot bottom has browned fond.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 10 ml oil, then the onion, carrots, and parsnips. Cook, stirring, until the onions soften at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. The vegetables are glossy and the tomato paste looks darker and fragrant.
4. Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the pot. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, remaining 4 g salt, and remaining 1 g pepper. Return the ribs and any juices to the pot. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the meat; add up to 100 ml water only if needed to reach that level. The pot is deglazed and the ribs are mostly submerged but still exposed at the top.
5. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. Braise for 90 minutes. The liquid is barely bubbling in the oven and the ribs are starting to loosen when nudged.
6. Add the potatoes to the pot, submerging them in the braising liquid. Cover and continue braising until the ribs are fork-tender and the potatoes are tender but intact, 40 to 50 minutes more. A fork slides into the rib meat with little resistance and the potatoes are cooked through but not falling apart.
7. Remove the pot from the oven. Discard the bay leaves and thyme stems. Transfer the ribs and vegetables to a serving platter. If the sauce looks thin, simmer it on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes until lightly syrupy. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then taste and add a pinch more salt if needed from the remaining seasoning only if the sauce still tastes flat. The sauce coats a spoon and tastes savory with a slight lift from the vinegar.
8. Spoon the sauce over the ribs and vegetables, then finish with parsley. The dish is hot, glossy, and ready to serve.