Braised Beef Short Ribs with Morel and Thyme Risotto

As a chef, it’s easy to use tenderloin because it’s already tender. But it’s more fun and more of a challenge to take a short rib, braise it and infuse it with big flavours, which is what we do here. Serve with the risotto, potatoes or even a salad.

Serves 6

Braised short ribs

  • Vegetable oil
  • 6 beef short ribs, each 8 to 10 oz
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 3 c dry red wine
  • 6 c beef stock (page xx)
  • 1/2 c maple syrup
  • 1/4 c sherry vinegar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch of fresh thyme

Braised short ribs: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat and add enough vegetable oil to coat the pan. Season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. When the oil is very hot and almost smoking, carefully add the short ribs and sear until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a braising pan. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the onions and garlic to the sauté pan and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and cook, scraping any leftover bits of meat from the bottom of the pan, until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the stock, maple syrup and sherry vinegar and bring to a boil, then pour the boiling liquid over the short ribs. The liquid should almost cover the ribs (add stock or water, if it does not). Add the bay leaves and thyme. Cover the braising pan tightly with aluminum foil and braise for about 4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.

Chef’s Note: Always make sure that your braising liquid is at a gentle simmer, not boiling. Top it up with a little stock or water if it starts to dry out.