Roasted Beef Short Ribs

I love short ribs.  They are a very rich, special dish that can be prepared in a variety of ways.  Here are links to ones I’ve created:

All of these recipes have one thing in common:  they are all cooked in liquid, or “braised” using culinary terminology.  Some of these recipes also call for two cooking procedures by browning the ribs in hot oil before braising.  While there are times when going to all that trouble is no trouble at all, I was searching for a way to cook short ribs that would deliver the rich, caramelized, beefy goodness without so much effort.  I also wanted a way to cook the ribs so the fat would render, but not reside in a sauce that had to be separated with the ribs floating around in it.  While unintended, this is perhaps a healthier way to prepare beef short ribs with less fat.

I think this recipe succeeded and can for you, too, if you have the right equipment.

You will need a roasting pan with a rack of some sort that will keep the ribs above a liquid that is going to braise the ribs with its steam.  I just happen to have two short racks that fit across the top of a deep roasting pan perfectly, which then allowed me to seal the whole pan with aluminum foil.

Physics was on my side.  The meat does not have to be in contact with the liquid if its steam can envelope the meat.  Thus, a good deal of flavor was infused while the fat rendered away into the cooking liquid.  You can discard the liquid if you wish, or put it in a gravy separator to filter out the fat.  The resultant gravy is great on mashed potatoes or my Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe, but I recommend just leaving out the garlic.

This is almost a “set it and forget it” recipe.  This recipe was made for 10-12 ribs, but you can do more or less just by adjusting the coating ingredients.

Ingredients
For the Coating:
1 6-oz can Tomato Paste
1/4 cup Vinegar
2 tbsp Onion powder
1 tbsp Garlic powder
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Horseradish
1/4 cup No-added Sugar Ketchup
1 tbsp Rosemary
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Smoked Salt
3 tbsp Worcester Sauce

Ingredients
For the Cooking Liquid:
2 cups Red Wine
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
2 cups Beef Stock
15 baby Carrots
1 medium Yellow Onion, sliced

The Recipe
Take 10-12 beef short ribs out of the refrigerator for two hours before cooking.  Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Put all the ingredients for the cooking liquid in a deep roasting pan.  Place your racks above the liquid so the steam will be able to envelope the meat without being in direct contact with the liquid.

Combine all the ingredients for the coating and mix well to combine.  Coat the ribs thoroughly by putting a few at a time in a plastic zip-lock bag with some of the coating mix and shaking.

Spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam) and then lay out the ribs on the rack above the cooking liquid.  Leave plenty of room between each rib so the steam can effectively surround them.

Cap the roasting pan with foil.  If your ribs are sitting above the top of the pan, tent the foil a bit so the steam has room to circulate.  It is important that you get a good seal on the whole affair.

Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then back the temperature down to 300 degrees for three hours.

After three and a half hours, remove the foil (carefully!) and roast the meat another hour.