For whatever reason, my female hormones have directed me BIG TIME to beef short rib, and only beef short rib. Not, say, something normal like chocolate.
This would be the first time I’ve cooked beef short rib, and not in an “experimenting” mood…
So, two questions about it…
What’s a quick, minimal way to get it yummy-tender? I’ve had beef short rib before, but only at really fine restaurants where they can make it melt in your mouth, but IIRC that takes like 24 hours to do.
I’ve got a soup recipe that basically boils down red wine and chicken stock to a yummy, very savory paste, over about 50 minutes. Will throwing the beef short rib in this make it tough/chewy, or will it stay tender? If it helps, I was planning on throwing thin slices in there.
Any other suggestions on how to cook it are quite welcome…
The recipe calls for making a gremolata but to be honest you don’t need it.
It also calls for gorgonzola polenta as a side dish. While excellent, you can use plain old mashed potatoes or just crusty bread and it’ll still be quite the feast.
No, not 24 hours. More like 3 or 4, depending on your heat. If you use a crockpot, 8 hours will do you just fine. The only thing I could think of that could possibly take 24 hours to cook to tenderness is a whole packer-cut brisket, and even there you’d have to be cooking at 200F, and might be done in 18 hours.
Beef short rib, because of its collagen content, is a cut that responds well to low and slow cooking. However, when sliced very thinly, it’s also good for quick grilling. If you’re going to use it in a soup, I would most likely cut it into cubes (not thin slices) and cook for about 3-4 hours over a low simmer. Sliced thinly and cooked for 50 minutes (as you intend), I would expect a somewhat tough result.
Brown the ribs first under the broiler or in a hot oven while you get everything else ready. They’re already quite fatty, and this step renders out a lot of fat while not making a mess out of your stove top.
Put the browned ribs into a casserole together with whatever seasoning vegies, broth, wine, spices you like. I like browned chunky vegs (easy to pick out and throw away when they’re spent), red wine, beef bouillon and a shot of Worcestershire sauce.
Cover them and bake them at 320 degrees for three hours and twenty minutes (get it? 320 at 320). They should be meltingly tender at this point.
I like to transfer them to something to let them bake naked under higher heat while I skim the cooking liquid and prepare other dinner accompaniments. This gets them crispy on the outside while the insides stay very soft.