Braised Beef Short Ribs in Madeira and Wild Mushrooms
With Fall approaching, my thoughts turn to soups, stews and deeply flavored braised dishes. Braised dishes are wonderful for a number of reasons. They can be made ahead, are great for large groups, and one can be very creative. This particular recipe has depth of flavor from the wild mushrooms, both dried and fresh, as well as the Madeira and rich brown stock. It can be made up to two days ahead, and is actually better if made at least 24 hours prior to serving. Serve with mashed potatoes or creamy polenta and top with a sprinkle of gremolata. Classically, gremolata is made using lemon zest, but I prefer orange zest for this dish. The recipe calls for classic Brown Stock or Veal stock but may certainly be made using store bought beef stock. For more about Brown or Veal stock, please refer to the Tips & Techniques piece on the subject.
Equipment
- One 5 to 7 quart braising pot with lid
Ingredients
- 12 small to medium bone in beef short ribs
- 4 tbsp flour (48g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30g)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (160g)
- 1/2 cup peeled diced carrot (70g)
- 1 cup dried Porcini mushrooms (36g) Soaked in 1 cup hot water or enough to cover
- 1 bouquet garni consisting of parsley, thyme and bay leaf
- 2 large pieces of orange rind
- 1 cup dry red wine (237ml)
- 4 cups brown stock (about a liter)
- 1 cup Madeira Wine (237ml)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (20g)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
- Salt & Pepper to taste
PREPARING THE WILD MUSHROOMS
- 2 tbsp each butter and Madeira for the mushrooms
- 2 cups Assorted wild mushrooms (200g) Chanterelle, Morel, Porcini, Trumpet, etc.
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon or 2 tsp dried
Gremolata
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley(45g)
- 2 tbsp orange zest – about zest from 1 large orange
- 1 clove garlic – finely chopped
Instructions
- Tie your bouquet Garni with kitchen string
- Dice the onions and carrots. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in enough hot water to coverClean and slice the fresh wild mushrooms
- Use a paper towel to dry the short ribs of any moisture. Salt and pepper liberally, and toss to coat with 3 tablespoons of the flour.Heat the oil in a 5 to 7 quart dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a lid. As soon as the pot is quite hot, add the ribs and brown on all sides. Most pots will not be large enough to brown all at one time, so brown in batches. When all the ribs are nicely browned, set them aside on a platter.
- If there is a large amount of fat from browning the ribs, discard all but a tablespoon or two before proceeding to sauté the vegetables.Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions, carrots and garlic. As soon as the onions start to color, create a little space and drop in the tomato paste. Spread the paste around the bottom of the pan until it starts to color. Now stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. Cook for one minute.
- Pour in the red wine and the Madeira and turn up the heat a bit. Simmer until the wines have reduced by about half. Next add the brown stock the Bouquet Garni, the orange rind and the porcini mushrooms along with the soaking liquid. Be careful not to add any of the grit that may have accumulated at the bottom of the soaking liquid.
- Bring the entire mixture to a simmer and place the browned short ribs back into the pot. Cover and place in your preheated 275° to 300° oven.You want this to cook slowly in a "not too hot" oven. After about 30 minutes it's best to check. If the liquid is boiling, reduct the heat by 25°. You want it to simmer. Simmering is very important to creating a finished product that is full of flavor, is moist and meat that you can cut with a fork.
FOR THE WILD MUSHROOMS
- In a medium sauté pan, heat the butter then add the sliced wild mushrooms. When they start to color a bit add the tarragon and pour in the 2 tablespoons of Madeira, stir and continue cooking until the wine has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside until you are ready to add to the braised short ribs. I also like to add a few grinds of black pepper along with a sprinkling of salt, but that is optional.
FINISHING THE BRAISING
- After 2 hours there are two ways to proceed. 1. Remove from the oven. Discard the Bouquet Garni. Place the short ribs on a platter and pour the stock/sauce through a strainer to remove the bits of carrot, onion, garlic. Pour back into you dutch oven/pot, add the short ribs and the wild mushrooms. Cover, place back in your oven and cook for another 30 minutes.2. If you don't mind a bit less classic dish, simply discard the Bouquet Garni, add the wild mushrooms land leave the bits of carrot, onions and garlic in place. Cover and cook another 30 minutes.
- If you are serving this immediately, skim as much of the fat off the top as possible and taste to see if you need additional salt and/or pepper.Garnish with the orange/prasley gremolata
- I think this dish is best made a day ahead. Short ribs have a great deal of fat that will melt into the sauce which detracts from the flavor and consistency. It is very difficult to remove most of it while the sauce is hot. So, when removed from the oven, allow to cool with the cover off. Once it has cooled a bit, place in the refrigerator. Prior to reheating remove the fat that has hardened on the surface. Reheat and add additional seasonings if needed.