In his book “Cooking Like a Pro,” Anna Garten proclaims her love for her braised short ribs recipe, saying, “This might be my favorite recipe.” After a quick scan of the ingredients and recipe, it’s easy to see why. In classic Anna fashion, her recipe Red Wine Braised Short Ribs Employs several sneaky tips and tricks.
How to Make Anna Garten’s Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Ina Genius Tip #1: Beer and wine
A glance at the ingredient list will immediately alert you to the first genius hack that Gartens has created. Braised short rib Very special: a full bottle of dry red wine and a full bottle of Guinness.
If you have cooked Braised Meat Recipesyou’ve likely seen wine or beer as part of a cooking liquid, but it’s unusual to see them together. Both on their own contribute to deepening the flavor of beef, but when they work together, the umami payoff is unparalleled.
The red wine provides acidity that is a welcome counterpoint to the beef’s fattiness, while the bitter, malty flavor of the dark beer brings out the caramelized flavors on the meat’s exterior. Beyond the big flavor they provide, the addition of alcohol helps break down and tenderize the meat, and this recipe is all about the texture of the bones—thanks in large part to this genius combination.
Ina Genius Tip #2: Changing the Searing Step
Garton’s second brilliant morsel of wisdom During this comes the messiest and most difficult part of making any braised meat dish: the searing. Before dipping your short ribs in its flavorful, boozy liquid, you must first clean the exterior of the meat. This step is important because it creates a brown crust on the meat, which is an important flavor component.
Traditionally, searing is made by heating up a Dutch oven and cooking the meat in a little oil until browned. It can be cumbersome with large pieces of meat that must be flipped and may require cooking in batches in a heavy pot—not to mention the oil that splatters.
If this sounds like something you want to avoid, you’re in luck because Garten has found a way. Seering All she does is place the short ribs on a rimmed baking sheet, brush them lightly with oil, and bake them in a 425 degree F oven for 20 minutes. This relatively short cooking time is not long enough to cook the meat, but it easily achieves a brown exterior.
Garten’s method completely eliminates active cooking and messy, popping oil. Also, cooking short ribs in the oven ensures a much browner browning of the meat than you can get by cooking them in batches on the stove. From here, the meat (and all of its pan-roasting juices) is ready to bathe in a delicious veggie-fortified braising liquid for a few hours.
How to Serve Anna Garten’s Braised Short Ribs
Once out of the oven, the comforting stew can be eaten as is or served with a warming and hearty starchy side dish, such as Polenta or potato. Take Garten’s word for it: “A hearty stew of beef short ribs simmered in a whole bottle of red wine, a bottle of Guinness, and lots of vegetables, then topped with creamy blue cheese grits or celery root and chickpea puree.” Served the most comforting dinner imaginable.”
And on a cold winter night, there’s nothing better.