Recipe: Lucques Braised Beef Short Ribs

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

6 beef short ribs, 14 to 16 ounces each
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 dozen small pearl onions
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
4 whole sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups port
2 1/2 cups hearty red wine
6 cups beef stock
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
2 bunches Swiss card, cleaned, centre ribs removed

Season short ribs with 1 tablespoon thyme leaves and 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper. Use your hands to coat the meat well. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove ribs from refrigerator an hour before cooking and allow to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Season generously with salt on all sides.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss pearl onions with 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper. Spread onions on a baking sheet, place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and slip off the skins with your fingers. Reserve onions.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 3 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot, almost smoking. Add short ribs (in batches if necessary) and sear until nicely browned on all three meaty sides. Do not crowd the meat or get lazy or rushed at this step; it will take at least 15 minutes. Transfer ribs to a braising pan, laying them flat in one layer, bones standing up.

Turn heat down to medium, and add onion, carrot, celery, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits in the pan. Cook 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables just begin to caramelize.

Add balsamic vinegar, port and red wine. Turn heat up to high and reduce liquid by half.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Pour liquid over short ribs, scraping any vegetables that have fallen on the ribs back into the liquid. The stock mixture should almost cover the ribs. Tuck the parsley sprigs in and around the meat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one.

Braise in the oven for about 3 hours or until tender. Let ribs rest 10 minutes in their juices, and transfer them to a baking sheet.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees F. Place short ribs in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, to brown.

Strain broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the fat from the sauce and, if the broth seems thin, reduce it over medium-high heat to thicken slightly. Taste for seasoning.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Tear the Swiss chard into large pieces. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, and stir in the cooked pearl onions. Add half the Swiss chard, and cook a minute or two, stirring the greens in the oil to help them wilt. Add a splash of water and remaining Swiss chard. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until greens are tender.

Place Swiss chard on a large platter, and arrange the short ribs on top. Spoon lots of braising juices over the ribs. Serve with horseradish sauce on side.

Serves 8
Source: Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin and Teri Gelber