Jen’s Provence Style Short Ribs

This is an easy one where the oven does all the hard work, tenderizes and flavors the meat AND makes a beautiful pan sauce. All you do is the initial leg work, let the process do the rest.

For this dish we will use the ‘braising’ method. This simply means that after browning, we will cook the item in liquid, but not enough to completely cover it. This allows the meat to benefit from both the moist heat cook and the dry heat pan sear. Thusly, it is considered a ‘combination’ cooking method.

You can use either bone in or de-boned short ribs. The benefit of de-boned is if the butcher went to the trouble to de-bone it, they likely removed the silver skin as well. If you aren’t comfortable doing that yourself, ask the butcher to do it. The advantage to using bone-in short ribs is that as they are braising, the bones are enriching the sauce. Either way, they will be great.

Start by seasoning your meat with salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence, then give them a light dusting of flour. In a hot heavy dutch oven, brown all sides of the meat in a bit of canola oil. Do not overload the pan, do it in batches if you need to. This will ensure you get a nice brown crust on the meat. Set the meat aside while you prepare your braising liquid.

Add over moderate/high heat:

2 Tablespoons of canola/olive oil blend
½ cup sliced mushrooms (I use Portobello)
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced carrot
1 Tablespoon of Herbes de Provence

Stirring frequently, allowing the veggies to get a bit of color and begin to soften. When the onions are translucent, deglaze the pan with 2 cups of red wine. Return the meat to the pan and add enough low sodium high quality beef stock to come about ½ way up the sides of the meat. Put a lid on it and slide it in a 325 degree oven for about an hour. If it needs more time to get tender, put the lid back on and be patient. The liquid will keep it tender and if the lid is heavy and tight fitting, it shouldn't boil away.

When the meat is cooked and very tender you can remove it from the pan to rest, place the pan back on the stove top and reduce the sauce to the strength of flavor you like, be sure to season with salt and pepper if it's needed. If you would like the sauce a bit thicker for mashed potatoes or rice, you can use a bit of Buerre Manie.

The Culinary Works

Jen’s Provence Style Short Ribs

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