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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Gorgonzola Polenta Medallions

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 carrots, diced
  • 1/2 shallots, diced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 bay leaves, torn in half
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • polenta medallions, see recipe below
  • gorgonzola, crumbled
  • parsley, chopped

for the Polenta Medallions

  • 6 cups water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups polenta

Instructions

  • 30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the fridge.
  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • With 2 teaspoons of salt, evenly season the short ribs on all sides.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over high on the stove top. Once hot, add the short ribs and brown for 2-3 minutes per side, for a total of 4-6 minutes, and set aside. This should be done in 2 batches.
  • Lower the heat to medium low and remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Add the shallots, carrots garlic and tomato paste to the pan. Continue to cook off the heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Add the Dutch oven back to the stove top. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Once the brown bits are scraped from the pan, add dijon, worcestershire, bay leaves and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
  • Place the short ribs back into the Dutch oven. Add more wine if needed to submerge the short ribs halfway.
  • Bring the liquid to a boil, cover the Dutch oven, and place it in the oven. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until the short ribs are tender. Remove from the Dutch oven and place onto a cutting board. Cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Place the pan back onto the cooktop. Bring the remaining liquid to a simmer. Whisk in the flour and let simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
  • Remove the meat from the bone. Shred or chop the short ribs. Place a spoonful of pan sauce onto the polenta crisps, then add the short ribs. Top with gorgonzola and chopped parsley.

for the Polenta Medallions

  • Bring the water to a boil. Add salt.
  • In small batches and in a fine stream add the polenta to the boiling water, whisking constantly. Once all the polenta is added, stir the polenta with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes adjusting the boil to a simmer by reducing the heat to low. Once a constant simmer is maintained, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, stir the polenta. Cover the pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Repeat this process two more times for a total of 40 minutes.
  • After 40 minutes, remove the lid. Continue to cook the polenta over low heat. Stir the last 1 minute of cooking.
  • Pour the polenta onto a parchment lined rimmed sheet pan (10×15).
  • Smooth the top of the polenta with a silicon spatula, cover and place into the fridge for 4 hours, or until set.
  • Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut out rounds of polenta using a round pastry cutter. (If you don’t have a a pastry cutter or cookie cutter, a ball jar lid works) Place the rounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until a light brown crust has formed.
  • Remove from the oven. Top with red wine braised short ribs, gorgonzola and chopped parsley.

Notes

If time is limited or you prefer not to bake the polenta that is okay. Once the polenta has finished cooking, remove from the cooktop. Add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola. Stir well to combine. Spoon into warm bowls and top with the short ribs and pan sauce. If you prefer an extra crispy medallion, broil until browned instead of baked.
It takes several hours for the polenta to “set.” I typically make the polenta the day before service and keep covered and chilled in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
The short ribs are freezer friendly.