It’s no secret that I love me some short ribs. Earlier this year I made braised short ribs that was delicious as a main course and as a filling for a sandwich. I was in Kensington Market the other day and the butcher had a good deal on short ribs so I bought some and threw them into my freezer for a future meal. While I loved the braised short ribs that I made in the past I wanted something a bit different. I definitely wanted to braise them with vegetable goodness but I didn’t want something totally out there.
I did my usual Epicurious search and found this recipe for Short Ribs Provençale which sounded delish. The recipe is very similar to the braised short ribs that I made before but gets its provençale touch from some herbes de Provence and olives. Um, I love herbes de Provence and olives! The only crappy thing about herbes de Provence is that I didn’t have any in my pantry so I had to buy some. I seriously contemplated making my own but didn’t have all of the individual herbs on hand. It’s a rough life.
This is one of those dishes that you make on a lazy Sunday afternoon, preferably when it’s nice and wintery outside. Because the oven is going for over 2 hours it warms my apartment a bit more and feels the entire place with a yummy meaty scent. Kind of heavenly.
I really enjoyed these short ribs, but truth be told the herbes de Provence barely made a splash. Next time I’d try adding a pinch more to enhance the flavours. I was a BIG fan of the addition of olives to the mix. The salty brininess is a great way to cut through the luscious sauce. This dish also gets bonus points for having the vegetables cooked with the meat.
I didn’t get around to making sandwiches with this batch of short ribs because it was just so great as a stew but I’m sure it would have been pretty great. I served this with mashed potatoes but it would be equally good with polenta, grits, or celery root.
Short Ribs Provençale
ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 pounds individual short ribs (not cross-cut flanken)
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hearty red wine, such as Zinfandel or Shiraz
1 3/4 cups beef stock, preferably homemade, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 bay leaf
8 ounces baby-cut carrots
1/2 cup Mediterranean black olives, such as Niçoise, pitted
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
preparation
1. Preheat to 300°F.
2. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with the salt and pepper. Brown the short ribs on all sides making sure not to crowd the pan. Using tongs, transfer the ribs to a platter.
3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pot. Add the onion, chopped carrot, and celery to the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook stirring often so that vegetables do not brown until they have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, herbes de Provence, and flour and stir until the garlic gives off its aroma, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil over high heat, deglazing the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the broth, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Return the short ribs, and any juices, to the pot. Add cold water as needed to cover the ribs and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Cover tightly, transfer to the oven, and bake, stirring occasionally to change the position of the ribs, until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, about 2 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes, add the baby carrots.
5. Transfer the short ribs to a deep serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Skim off the fat from and discard the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to a saucy consistency. Add the olives and cook to heat them through, about 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon the sauce with the carrots over the ribs, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve hot.
(Recipe via Epicurious)
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