Mushroom-Braised Short Ribs

I saw this recipe on The Today Show and tried my hand at making it but with a twist.

I bought a pack of Australian short ribs from S&R because they were leaner and hopefully more tender than the local beef. Not in the picture is the bottle of white wine. Yes, white wine. Most beef recipes use red wine and I was curious if using white wine made it better.

I bought this giant plastic bottle of assorted dried mushroom from Costco. I finally got to use it in this recipe.

The recipe called for seasoning the short ribs one day before and leaving it in the refrigerator. I then browned the beef on all sides in a pan.

Next cook the aromatics in the same pan.

Instead of braising the mixture in the oven as the recipe said I tried cooking it in a pressure cooker.

This was the pressure cooker I used. We normally use this to make soup and congee (lugaw) with excellent results.

Using the pressure cooker wasn’t a good idea because the sauce didn’t thicken and the beef wasn’t all that tender. I transferred the contents into a large Dutch oven and continued to simmer it on the gas range. The sauce thickened up and the short ribs became tender.

The sauce was very rich and the mushrooms still had a nice bite despite the long cooking time. This recipe is a keeper.

I used Herb’s Best Amori pasta as a partner for the short ribs. A box of Amori pasta contains 4 individually packed dried pasta made with carrots and squash. I really like this portion control packaging. You cook what you need without any wastage or leftovers. And no overeating either!

One ball of dried pasta cooked for 3-4 minutes only and it’s super al dente. It tastes just like fresh pasta.

I recommend following the recipe and braising the stew in the oven.

Mushroom-Braised Short Ribs (from The Today Show)
Tom Valenti
Ingredients:
6 pounds short ribs (about 6 pieces)
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
9 cups store-bought, reduced-sodium beef broth
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup dried morel or porcini mushrooms, rinsed

Preparation
The day before cooking, season the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat the olive oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the ribs and brown them on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir in the mushrooms. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Return the ribs to the pan, cover with aluminum foil, and braise in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the aluminum foil and cook for 3 more hours or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.

To serve, remove the ribs from the braising liquid and divide them among 6 warm, shallow bowls. (Leave the bone — it makes a dramatic presentation.) Strain the braising liquid, discarding the solids. Skim off and discard the fat from the liquid, and pass as a sauce at the table.