Braised Shortribs
Shortribs cooked in beef broth with aromatic herbs and vegetables makes a fork-tender, flavorful entrée.
2 ½ pounds (1.35 kg) English cut beef shortribs
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
¼ cup bacon fat
6 cups beef broth
1 ½ cups red wine
1 cup tomato paste
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried thyme
Finely-chopped rosemary
1 large onion, diced
3 Tbsp minced garlic
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices
3 red-skinned potatoes, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
Flour
Heat bacon fat in a 6-quart (6-liter) cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season shortribs with salt, freshly ground black pepper, then dredge in flour. Place 1 or 2 in the pot at one time, and cook until browned on all sides. Repeat until all shortribs have been browned. Keep warm.
If there is not enough fat in the pan to coat the bottom, add olive oil. Add ¼ of the vegetables at a time and sauté until browned around the edges. Repeat until all vegetables have been sautéed.
Add remaining ingredients and browned shortribs. Place into a cold oven and then set for 250°F (120°C). Cook 5 ½ hours.
5 ½ hours
Move to serving bowls and sprinkle each serving with finely chopped rosemary. Serve warm.