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The Superlative Short Rib

Photo by MICHELLE BAKER

This short ribs recipe is a no-fail way to take a tough, maligned piece of meat and transform it into a higher being.

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By GREG and MICHELLE BAKER

Tribune correspondent

Published: November 28, 2008

After the rush of Thanksgiving, the last thing that we want to think about is more turkey - roasted turkey, fried turkey, turkey rillettes, turkey and dumplings, turkey tetrazzini, and leftover turkey sandwiches. Make it stop!

OK ...we're back.

The weather has cooled a bit (you know, it's below 80 degrees) and we're allowed to start thinking about heavier foods, like roasts and stews. We're going to take a trip in the way-back machine to the superstar ingredient of 2005, the short rib; aka Greg's passion.

Before being deposed by pork belly as the protein du jour, the humble short rib emerged onto the food scene from relative obscurity, rose to superstardom, then was abused to the point that it could join that guy who played Balki on "Perfect Strangers" on the D list. It became the strung-out rock star playing smoky dive bars, the washed-up boy band singer, the shaved-head disco singer strumming for one more hit record. Are you getting the point?

But don't blame the beef; it's the culinary pretenders to the throne who drove it into the ground, making it the bovine equivalent of avocado appliances. A poorly made short rib has all the sex appeal of Bea Arthur in a teddy.

So here's where we come in - to present you with the superlative short rib; a no-fail way to take this tough, maligned piece of meat and transform it into a higher being.

Check out The Sherpas' Web site, www.cooksncompany.com or their blog, www.culinarysherpas.com.

SUPERLATIVE SHORT RIBS

1 pound beef short ribs

1 medium onion, cut into large chunks

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

2 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 sprigs rosemary

1 quart beef stock

Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Cheesecloth

Parchment paper

Start by removing the short ribs from the refrigerator and their packaging. Let them sit on the counter for 15 minutes before cooking. Put a thick-bottomed pot, large enough to fit the short ribs in a single layer, over medium heat and let the pot heat for about 5 minutes.

Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper and place them fat side down in the heated pot. In this step, we're trying to render as much excess fat out of the meat as we can. There are two choices, get it out now, or have it end up in your sauce -- we choose now. So, leave the short ribs on the fat side for about 5 minutes. They'll spit and sputter, and you'll be tempted to move them around after only about a minute, but resist that urge, really.

After 5 minutes, turn the short ribs and sear the remaining 3 sides for about 2 minutes per side, and then remove them from the pan. Pour the excess fat from the pan and add the carrots, onions, celery and rosemary. Sautee the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown a bit, and then add the red wine. Bring the wine to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it has reduced in volume by one-half.

Cover the vegetables with a piece of cheesecloth large enough to fit the pan, and place the short ribs on top of the cheesecloth. Add the beef stock to the pot and bring to a simmer. Heat your oven to 175 degrees and cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the inside of your pot and place the parchment over the short ribs. Place the pot in the oven and cook for approximately 2 hours, until the short ribs are tender enough to be pierced easily with a fork. This will provide the perfect temperature for the short ribs to braise, but the sauce won't boil, so any fat that gets extracted from the meat won't get emulsified into the stock -- giving you a nice, clear, clean sauce.

Take the pot out of the oven, remove the short ribs, discard the cheesecloth, and strain the stock into a saucepan. Discard the vegetables; they've given up every bit of flavor and texture that they can at this point (the cheesecloth was to prevent the mushy vegetables from co-mingling with your pristine meat). Skim any fat from the top of the sauce, and bring it to a simmer. Let this cook for 20-30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to the consistency of a nice sauce, you know -- kinda thick, but nice and silky.

While the sauce is reducing, if you want a slightly different texture to your short ribs, you can sear them again in a saute pan. Or place them on a grill for a few minutes to put a nice, crisp crust on the outside -- a contrast to the softness of the inside of the meat.

Now, it's time to eat. Serve the short ribs with creamy polenta or maybe mashed potatoes, some sauteed carrots and onions, parsnips, whatever your favorite root vegetables are, and top it all with the reduced sauce.

Makes 2 servings.

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