Braised Short Ribs with Frisée & Mustard Vinaigrette

Braising short ribs — or braising in general — is such a beautiful technique to use when hosting or for a quiet Sunday dinner. It takes time and patience for the meat to slowly cook — but it’s relatively hands-off once everything is started. You can make this the day before (up to 3 days!) so there’s less stress when hosting — and the end product will be even more delicious as it cools down in the braising liquid.

We like to do a 72 hour braised short rib sous vide, but there’s a lot of risk for home cooks (the immersion circulator could shut off or the water level get too low — not to mention the risk of botulism or other bacteria to grow). Sometimes going back to the basic techniques is just as lovely as modern technology.

Serve these short ribs with carrots & carrot butter, a simple frisée salad with mustard vinaigrette (recipe below), and potato purée for a cozy dinner at home.

Braised Short Ribs
serves 4

shopping list —

• 3.5-4# boneless chuck short rib

• kosher salt

• freshly cracked black pepper

• ap flour

• canola oil

• 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

• 1 cup 1/2” diced yellow onion

• 1/2 cup 1/2” diced carrots

• 1 cup 1/2” slices leeks

• 3 garlic cloves, smashed

• 3-4 sprigs thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 5 cups beef stock

equipment —

• dutch oven

• tongs or spoons to remove the short ribs after searing

• chinois or sieve

steps —

1. Trim any sinew from the top of the short ribs, and remove any connective tissue where the bones were removed. You can leave some fat and silverskin. Slice the chuck into thirds if the chuck is whole. If it’s already in long strips, leave as is. (Often times, the short ribs will already be cleaned and sliced into portions or into large cuts. If this is the case, skip to step 2.)

2. Season all sides generously with salt and pepper and coat in flour, patting off any excess. (To make it gluten-free, don’t coat in flour.)

3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

4. Heat a healthy amount of canola oil in a dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to not overcrowd the pan, add the meat fat side down and allow to brown, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium high, and brown the meat on all sides – about 3 minutes per side. Allow to rest on a tray as you keep searing all the portions.

5. Drain excess fat from the pot, leaving behind about 2 tbsp. Add the onion, leeks, and garlic. As the aromatics begin to sweat, scrape up the fond from the pan. Add the bottle of red wine, thyme, and bay leaf, and allow to reduce by about half.

6. Nestle the beef in the pot and add the stock to just cover the beef. Cover with the dutch oven lid or use a cut piece of parchment to lay over the meat.

   *If you want to avoid having the vegetables cling to the meat, cut a piece of cheesecloth larger than the diameter of the pot. Place the short ribs in the center and wrap the edges around the meat before adding it into the dutch oven.

7. Transfer the dutch oven to the oven and turn down the heat to 325ºF. Braise the beef for 2 —3 1/2 hours or until tender. (Check after 1 1/2 hours to determine how much longer they will need. You want the short ribs to be tender but still keep their shape.)

8. Transfer the meat to a heat proof container. Strain the braising liquid through a chinois or sieve and skim off any fat that rises to the top. Discard the vegetables.

To serve immediately — 

Increase the oven temperature to 425ºF. Add the short ribs and strained braising liquid back to the dutch oven. Continue to cook until the short ribs are browned and starting to crisp, and the braising liquid reduces to a rich sauce, about 20-25 minutes. Pull out the meat, allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, and slice against the grain into portions. Serve with the sauce.

Make ahead — 

Add the braising liquid back in with the short ribs and refrigerate up to 3 days. To serve, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove any solidified fat from the braising liquid. Cook the short ribs in the oven until the meat has browned and started to crisp, and the braising liquid reduces to a rich sauce, about 25-30 minutes. Pull out the meat, allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, and slice against the grain into portions. Serve with the sauce.

Frisée Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
serves 4

shopping list —

for the vinaigrette —

• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar

• 1 tbsp minced shallot

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 - 2/3 cup olive oil

• sugar

• salt

• black pepper

for the frisée salad —

• frisée, cleaned, washed, and patted dry

• mustard vinaigrette

equipment —

• immersion blender

steps —

1. Add the champagne vinegar, shallot, Dijon, salt, and a sprinkle of sugar to a mason jar, deli, or container.

2. Blend everything together using an immersion blender.

3. Slowly stream in the olive oil until the vinaigrette has emulsified. Adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, cracked black pepper. Add more oil or vinegar to find the balance you like in the vinaigrette.

4. Dress the frisée right before serving the salad.