Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta

This is the last of the recipes that I have to share with you from my time spent with my family in Florida, and though the pictures are the worst, I think it may just be the tastiest. It's a super comforting dish that really just sticks to your bones.


Though the recipe itself is fairly straightforward and easy, finding the short ribs was an absolute nightmare. Apparently no one in Sarasota, Florida eats short ribs or something... it was extremely bizarre. I had to go to 3 different grocery stores and a butcher's shop to find them! I was flabbergasted when my family's tried and true neighborhood butcher responded to my bone-in short rib request with "Aren't those kind of rare?" WHAT? Are you, the extremely qualified butcher, asking me if this cut of meat is sparse in the meat-world??? Well, I certainly didn't think so considering they seem to be a staple on every restaurant's menu, but clearly I was sorely mistaken. I was told by the butcher in the next store that "All the snow birds went home so we don't really have them anymore." Excuse me? Do only northerners consume short ribs? All in all, I found the experience both frustrating and peculiar. I finally ended up locating some short ribs with the help of a phone call from one butcher to another, and I ended up buying out there entire stock (which was not very much... like 16 short ribs).


Anyways, despite the issues finding the main ingredient, this recipe was fantastic and completely worth all of the effort. The meat literally falls off of the bone and there is no need for a knife. The polenta is so good (and easy!) that I will be making it time and time again. I loved the slight tang that the goat cheese imparts. The best thing ever though is the fact that the creamy polenta soaks up all of the juicy cooking sauce from the meat- major yum!

Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta

recipe from here

serves 4

ingredients:

short ribs:

• 8 bone-in beef short ribs
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 slices pancetta, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 cups dry red wine (I used a Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

polenta:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (I used Bob's Redmill)
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 ounces goat cheese (not the crumbled kind!)

for the short ribs:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Salt and pepper the ribs, and then dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
3. In a large dutch oven, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until all fat is rendered and the pancetta is really crisp. Remove the pancetta pieces from the pot and set aside (don't discard!), leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
4. Raise the heat to high and add the olive oil to the pot with the pancetta grease. Brown the ribs on all sides (you'l know they are browned when they are easily able to be lifted from the bottom of the pot). Set ribs aside.
5. Lower the heat to medium and add in the onions, shallots, and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then pour in the wine, being sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Add the beef stock, a pinch of freshly ground pepper , and the stock to the pot. Add in the ribs (they should be mostly submerged), and the sprigs of thyme and rosemary (yes, leave them whole). Put on the lid.
7. Cook in the oven for 2 hours, then reduce the temperature to 325 and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. Remove pot from the oven and allow to sit for about 20 minutes with the lis still on before serving. Right before you serve, skim the fat off of the top of the liquid. Serve over Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta (recipe below) with cooking juices spooned over top.

for the polenta:

1. Bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil.
2. Add in the cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid any clumps.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, adding salt and tablespoons of water as necessary.
4. When the polenta is done, stir in the butter and goat cheese. Serve with Braised Short Ribs (or anything else because it's so darn good!).