Elena Rosemond-Hoerr
When I'm trying to come up with a new recipe, or when I'm making something for the first time, I do a lot of research. I read a lot of recipes, I formulate ideas, and most of the time I opt to ignore the advice of the Internet and do it my way. Most times this method works in my favor, and sometimes I crash and burn. As my brother-in-law pointed out recently, I don't do anything quietly and when I fail, I fail BIG.
Thankfully, when I set out to make braised short ribs for the first time, I didn't have the embarrassment of failing. I decided that I wanted to try my hand at braising because while we eat meat a few times a week, we usually stick to the same meats. Steak tacos, turkey burgers, chicken fried rice. With the exception of the occasional pork chop, we are pretty predictable. So I want to learn, to grow, to experiment.
One of the things I've learned about cooking is that it is important to build a strong flavor profile. When you're making a pizza you do this by using complimentary flavors in the dough, in the sauce, and in the cheese. When you're making meat, it's important to echo the flavors from the marinade to the stock to the braise. With these short ribs I knew that I wanted to use red wine, cremini mushrooms, and a cream sauce. Most of the recipes I read instructed you to braise the ribs with heavy vegetables, to make a tomato based sauce. But I was craving mushrooms, and the idea of a creamy mushroom sauce with ribs that were bursting with flavor.
Short ribs are a tougher meat, not as tender as other cuts. Because of this they are perfect for braises and stews, dishes that spend a lot of time marinating and cooking. For this recipe, I started out with a very simple marinade. I combined red wine, chicken stock, and the spices I wanted to echo through the dish- bay leaves, thyme, all spice, pepper, and rosemary. By marinating overnight the meat is made more tender and the flavors are infused in a way they just can't be otherwise.
Braising is the combination of cooking a cut of meat through both sauteing and cooking in a liquid. Putting a nice sear on the meat after it's marinated gives a nice crust on the meat and creates a nice base of flavors for the braise. Traditionally the meat may be braised with tougher vegetables like carrots and onions, but I was really in the mood for mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms are too fragile to but in the oven for such long time, so instead I used red wine, some of the leftover liquid from the braise, and some cream. This brought the flavors I had built from the marinade on into the mushrooms, allowing the dish to be both dynamic and cohesive.
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Cremini Mushroom Cream Sauce
8-10 short ribs
1 bottle strong red wine, such as shiraz*
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp allspice berries
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups cremini mushrooms
5 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp butter
*reserve 4 tbsp for mushrooms
Start with your marinade. Combine half of the wine, half of the chicken stock, and half of the herbs. Submerge short ribs in marinade, cover, and soak overnight.
When you're ready to cook the ribs, preheat your oven to 375, pull them out of the marinade and pat each rib dry. Season with salt and pepper. In your dutch oven (or lidded pot that is oven safe and at least 6 inches deep), melt butter. Sear each rib on all sides, and then set aside. Pour remaining spices, wine, and stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and return the ribs to the pot, making sure they are covered in liquid. Top with the lid and put in the oven. Cook for 3 ½ hours.
When your ribs are done, remove from the braise and set on a plate. Let them rest while you cook the mushrooms. Clean and slice the mushrooms and put them in a saute pan. Pour in the reserved wine. Strain ½ cup of the braising liquid, and add that to the mushrooms. Bring to a strong simmer, reducing the liquid by half. Add in cream and allow that to reduce until the liquid is thick. Pour mushrooms and sauce over ribs and serve.
