Sherry Braised Beef Short Ribs – Stick a Fork in Them, They Might Be Done

Sticky, succulent beef short ribs are such a favorite of mine, and I when I realized I'd only done a couple other previous videos with them, one recipe way back when I still used a tiny web cam taped to the spice rack, I decided to film this version, which is going in the cookbook.

The video doesn't need a lot of set-up. Beef short ribs are pretty much foolproof, and as long as two things happen, you are in for some very fine eats. First, the beef must be really well browned – I'm talking deep, dark, crusty, and caramelized.

To this end I use a separate, very heavy duty, super thick, copper-bottomed pan on high heat. You can, and I have many times, simply brown in the Dutch oven itself, but they're generally thinner than a skillet, and not as easy to keep on high heat for prolong periods without scorching.

The other key step is easier. To paraphrase an expression you'll probably hear watching football this weekend, "Stick a fork in them, they're done." Just braise them until they're fork-tender. After browning properly, the only way to mess these up is to undercook them, so don't.

If you watch carefully, you'll actually see in the shot where I test them with the fork, they're a little "bouncy," and not quite there, so I put them back in for another 20 minutes. Once done, your patience will be well rewarded. Enjoy!

Tech note: the quality of these movies is poor until they are completely finished processings, so if they look low res, check back later to enjoy the sheer visual ecstasy that is HD video!




Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed
3 1/2 pounds beef short ribs
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup dry sherry wine
1 quart beef broth or veal stock
6 springs of thyme, picked
1 bay leaf