Chocolate Braised Short ribs
I know what you’re thinking, Chocolate in my short ribs, never, but you need to try this one. Chocolate Braised Shorts Ribs beautifully combines melt in your mouth Beef with the richness of Chocolate.
Accompanied with some Amazing Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta and some Roasted Carrots the table will go quiet. All you will hear is the low, slow “mmmmmmmm” coming from your guests.
There isn’t much prep but it is still best to take care of your “Mise en place”. Dice the Onion, crush and chop the Garlic, gather all the Spices and Chocolate, and open the Beer. Probably the most important prep is trimming the Short Ribs. If they have excess fat and sinew on the top make sure to trim some off.
start with browning
Find yourself a nice deep, heavy pot, something tall enough so the liquid covers the Ribs. I love using my cast iron pots for things like this…they hold the heat so well.
Start by seasoning the Short Ribs all over with Salt and Pepper. Heat the Cast Iron Pot on high heat, add the Oil. Once the Oil has heated up add half the Ribs Meat side down to start. Once you put the first Shorts Ribs in the pot LEAVE THEM ALONE 🙂 . Let them get nice and brown before turning, continue to brown on all sides and repeat with the second half. After the Ribs are browned remove them from the pot and set aside.
Once all the Short Ribs have been nicely browned and removed, turn the heat to medium and add the Onions and a pinch of Salt to the pot. Cook the Onions, stirring occasionally, until they start to show some colour then add the garlic. After a minute turn the heat to low and add the flour.
The making of a roux
The Garlic and Flour will cook quickly which is why it is important to have all the other ingredients ready to go.
Stir the Flour continuously so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. After tow to three minutes it’s time to make a Roux. The only tricky part is making sure the Flour thickens the sauce without turning into dumplings. The key is to add small amounts of liquid to start and whisk until incorporated, then add some more and so on.
Add the Red Wine and continue to stir or whisk, it will thicken with the Flour quickly. As soon as it incorporates with the Flour add half the Stock. Continue to whisk until everything is incorporated, add the Beer and whisk again. I like using a Porter, something that can hold up to the Chocolate.
Bring the temperature back to medium and as everything heats up add the Spices and Herbs and more Seasoning S&P. When the stock starts to bubble drop in the Chocolate and whisk again until melted. Add the Short Ribs back into the pot and top off with as much stock as needed to almost cover the Ribs. Place a lid on or cover with foil and in the oven to cook for at least two hours.
The fixings
After the Ribs have been braising for an hour it’s a good time to add the Carrots. You can add them the same time as the spices but I find they overcook and get really mushy.
Peel the Carrots and make sure to cut them into nice chunky 1″- 2″ pieces. Place them all over and return the pot to the oven.
If you are planning to add some Smashed Potatoes or try some Amazing Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta, which is excellent with Chocolate Braised Short Ribs, now would be a good time to start making them. By the time you’re finished the Ribs will be done.
Finishing off
After two plus hours you should be able to gently poke a knife into the Short Ribs. That is how you will know they are done when they fall off the bone. Time to take the pot out of the oven and place it back on the cooktop.
Remove the Short Ribs and Carrots and place them under Foil with a tea towel on top to keep warm. Heat the Stock up to a simmer over medium low heat and simmer, not boil, until the liquid reduces by half.
As the liquid reduces skim the top with a ladle to remove any fat that might be floating. As it reduces it will thicken even more because of the Flour.
This is where I love my Cuisinart hand mixer, Grab that beautiful immersion blender and turn the Stock into a smooth sauce. Add a teaspoon of Lemon juice to brighten everything up, some Salt and Pepper to taste and time to plate.
A nice dollop of Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta in the middle of the plate. Stack a couple of Chocolate Braised Short Ribs on top. Ladle some sexy sauce around the Polenta and finish with some carrots.
Considering there’s already Chocolate on your plate it’s like dinner and Dessert in one. We know that’s not true but after you go back for seconds you might not have room for Dessert 🙂
Chocolate Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 8 Short Ribs
- 4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Braising Liquid
- 1 Onion large dice
- 3 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- 1/4 c Red Wine
- 1 450ml Beer Porter or strong flavour
- 1 c Beef Stock plus/minus 1 cup
- 2 Star Anise Optional, they go well with the Chocolate
- 5-6 springs Thyme
- 20 g Bittersweet Chocolate or 90% Cacao
- Salt & Pepper
The Fixings
- 2-4 large Carrots depends how much you like Carrots 🙂
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Turn the oven on to 350° F
- Dice the Onion and smash a couple cloves of garlic. Measure all your wet ingredients and Spices and have them ready by the cooktop.
Searing the Short Ribs
- Start by trimming away any excess fat and sinew on the meat side of the Short Ribs. Season all around the Ribs with Salt and Pepper.
- Heat a cast iron pan, or heavy bottom pan. on high. After the pan is hot add 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil and heat the Oil ( you don't want a cold pan or cold Oil when the Ribs are added ). Once the Oil is hot add 1/2 the Ribs meat side down to start. Sear them until they have a nice brown crust on them and repeat for all sides. Remove from heat and repeat with the second batch.
Making a Roux
- After the ribs are seared I like to drain the pan of fat, I find it makes a better sauce later on. Place the pan back on Medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of Olive oil. Add the Onions and sautée for two minutes, add the Garlic and sautéing for an additional minute.
- Reduce the heat to low and spinkle the flour around the pan. Continue to stir so the Flour dones't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- Grab a whisk, after two to three mintues of the Flour cooking add the Red Wine whisking the whole time.
- Add 1/2 C Stock and continue to whisk again until incorporated Followed by the Beer.
- Add any Spices or Herbs and the Chocolate, bring the heat back up to medium and whisk until the Chocolate has melted.
- Return the Ribs to the pan and using the rest of the Stock, top off the pan until the Ribs are approximately 3/4 or more covered with liquid. Heat the pot until it just starts to bubble, cover and place in the oven.
The Fixings
- The Ribs are going to cook for an hour and a half to two and a half hours, depending upon your oven. Start checking at the hour and a half mark to see if a paring knife pierces the meat easlity. if it does they are done.
- In the mean time make your fixings, my Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta goes great but Smashed Potatoes or the like will work great too.
- We still have Carrots to add to our Stock, so peal 3-4 large Carrots and cut them into medallions about 1" – 2" thick. At about the one hour mark add them to the Stock the Ribs are cooking in.
Finishing off
- Once the ribs are tender and cooked move the pot from the oven back to the cooktop. Revove the Ribs, Carrots, Star Anise and Thyme stems with a slotted spoon or tongs into a holding tray, cover with foil and place a tea towel ontop.
- Heat the liquid back to a simmer over medium heat, not a boil, and reduce the liquid by about half. Skin the fat off the top with a ladle as it reduces. Using a handheld emulsion blender, purée the Onions until incorporated into the Sauce.
- A teaspoon of Lemon Juice in the Sauce will help to brighten it up, a little more Salt & Pepper to your taste and your ready to serve.
- Add some creamy Polenta to the plate, top with a couple Ribs, drop some tender Carrots around the outside, a generous ladle of Sauce and…… Enjoy!!