Cold nights call for balsamic braised short ribs loaded with seasonal vegetables.
Ingreadients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 bone-in beef short ribs (about 4 1/2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 small fresh cipollini onions (about 10 ounces), trimmed and peeled
- 1 medium celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Direction
- Preheat oven to 275°F. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Pat short ribs dry, and sprinkle evenly with black pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Working in two batches, cook short ribs, flipping occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer browned short ribs to a plate; set aside.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings in Dutch oven; discard. Return Dutch oven to heat over medium, and add yellow onion, sliced garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of Dutch oven to loosen browned bits, until onion is softened and browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in vinegar, onion powder, and garlic powder; cook, stirring often, until liquid has reduced by half, about 1 minute.
- Add broth, brown sugar, and bay leaves to onion mixture; cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Nestle browned short ribs, meaty side down, into Dutch oven in a single layer. Pour any accumulated juices on plate over top. Return mixture to a simmer over medium-high.
- Cover Dutch oven, and transfer to preheated oven. Braise for 1 hour. Uncover; add cipollini onions, celeriac, and carrots, taking care to submerge them as much as possible in cooking liquid. Cover and continue braising until vegetables are tender and meat is easily pierced with a paring knife, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Transfer short ribs and vegetables to a serving platter; set aside. Return Dutch oven to stovetop, and bring cooking liquid to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced and flavors have concentrated, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Season sauce with additional black pepper and salt to taste. Skim off excess fat from top of sauce using a ladle; discard. (Alternatively, pour sauce through a fat separator into a gravy boat; discard excess fat.) Spoon desired amount of sauce over short ribs. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately alongside remaining sauce.