Recipe: Short Ribs, Allergen Free

As I’m Jewish and don’t celebrate the Christmas holiday, these weeks are usually fairly quiet and relaxed, once everyone leaves New York and the emails slow down. But this year, I thought: why not throw a Holiday Party? So, we’re cooking for over a dozen people; ages 4 to 80; Jews, Sikhs, Muslims; family and friends.

The main rule of the party: no outside food allowed. Sure, flowers and wine fine but no food or candy. That rule makes it so much easier for this allergic girl. I can’t tell you how many people, all with completely wonderful and generous intentions, bring my allergens (tree nuts and fish) to holiday parties. So the rule, without apology is simply: no outside food, candy, chocolate or treats -  just come and enjoy!

This, of course, means the onus of cooking is on me, which I love. It gives me a chance to try out some new recipes as well as perfect some old realiables. 

Notes

• Here's my original short rib recipe. 
• The original short rib recipe has been further perfected with pictures of each step, below. 
• This version uses boneless short rib meat. While at Costco, looking at the only short ribs they had (boneless) and thinking aloud "this will never do", Joseph Yoon, Chef and owner of Yummy Eats, kindly offered some chefy insight; that is, my recipe and braising methods would work just fine with boneless short rib meat. He was totally right, thanks Chef!
• This recipe is the result of several recipes to create my version. Here were my base recipes: from Simply Recipes, FoodNetwork, BonAppetit and TastyKitchen. I took the common elements in all the various recipes and created the one below. 
• Here's a short course on how and why braising works via The Reluctant Gourmet and BonAppetit.
• Here's some information on staying safe when handling raw mat from FoodSafety. Gov, The Kitchn. 

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Short Ribs, Allergen-Free 

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

10 - 12 beef short ribs, bone-in (or  3 pounds boneless)

Kosher salt to taste (I prefer coarsely ground)

1-2 T extra virgin olive oil (extra oil if needed for sautéing vegs)

1 yellow medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

½ bottle 750-ml bottle good dry red wine (about 1 1/3 cups plus a few sips for the cook)

15 ounces of organic diced tomatoes 

32 - 48 ounces of water or stock (32 ounces if not bone-in; 48 ounces if bone-in) basically enough to cover the meat (I used Swanson’s 33% less sodium chicken broth, it’s GF)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. While you’re prepping the vegetables, take the meat out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. 

2. Get your mise en place ready. Pat the meat dry. Season the ribs/rib meat on both sides with salt. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed ovenproof pot over high heat. Add ribs and brown them on all sides. Work in batches so that the ribs aren't over-crowded.

3. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Using the fat that came off the ribs combined with the oil to sauté the celery, carrots and onion, stirring often, until softened, about 5 - 7 minutes. Then add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the wine, deglazing the pan, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Boil the wine / veggie mixture for 10-15 minutes until slightly reduced and fragrant. 

4. Return the ribs and any juices to the pan. Add the stock and the can of tomatoes, making sure the liquid covers the ribs. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat; cover with foil (or pot top) and place in the oven. Braise the meat, cooking in the oven, until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Allow the ribs to cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. The next day about one hour before you are ready to serve, remove the excess fat that has solidified at the top from the overnight chilling. Remove the ribs/rib meat; boil the liquid until it has reduced a bit, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings - should be salty enough from the chicken broth but if you used water, adjust seasonings. Place ribs/rib meat back into the pan with cooking liquid and cook over medium heat, uncovered until bones of the ribs have detached about another 20 minutes or the meat is spoon-worthy (yes you can spoon this meat dish!).  

***

Serve over a starch of your choice - potatoes, rice or gluten-free noodles. 

Method With Pictures

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. While you’re prepping the vegetables, take the meat out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. 

2. Get your mise en place ready. 

Vegs cut, ingredients all ready, surfaces all cleaned and cleared

Pat the meat dry. Season the ribs/rib meat on both sides with salt. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed ovenproof pot over high heat. Add ribs and brown them on all sides. Work in batches so that the ribs aren't over-crowded.

Don't move them as they brown, they won't stick, I promise

Here they are, browned on one side

3. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Using the fat that came off the ribs combined with the oil to sauté the celery, carrots and onion, stirring often, until softened, about 5 - 7 minutes. 

Happy sautéing vegs

Then add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the wine, deglazing the pan, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.   

This is the brown stuff on the bottom that you want and will deglaze with the wine

Boil the wine / veggie mixture for 10-15 minutes until slightly reduced and fragrant. 

Wine and veg about to meld flavors as the boil and reduce

4. Return the ribs and any juices to the pan. 

You want those juices from the browned meat!

Add the stock and the can of tomatoes, making sure the liquid covers the ribs. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat; cover with foil (or pot top) and place in the oven. 

Looks grey at this stage but it will reduce and become simply wonderful

Braise the meat, cooking in the oven, until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Allow the ribs to cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. The next day about one hour before you are ready to serve, remove the excess fat that has solidified at the top from the overnight chilling. 

Meat removed, excess fat removed

Remove the ribs/rib meat; boil the liquid until it has reduced a bit, about 20 minutes.

Reducing, reducing

Taste for seasonings - should be salty enough from the chicken broth but if you used water, adjust seasonings. Place ribs/rib meat back into the pan with cooking liquid and cook over medium heat, uncovered until bones of the ribs have detached about another 20 minutes or the meat is spoon-worthy (yes you can spoon this meat dish!).  

Spoon-worthy!

Serve over a starch of your choice - potatoes, rice or gluten-free noodles.