Ina Garten-Inspired Braised Short Ribs

Compiled by Igor Kukolj, Editor. Nobody here has cooked this — how these are made.

There is a line on a short rib where the braising liquid should stop, and most recipes have you pour straight past it.

Come halfway up the meat and no further. The submerged half braises in liquid; the exposed half sits in a hot, steamy atmosphere and continues to brown and concentrate. That top surface is where the deep, roasted flavour of a good braise comes from. Cover the ribs completely and the whole thing is boiling — gently, for three hours, but boiling — and boiled beef tastes like boiled beef.

If the level drops too far, top it up. If it looks too high, ladle some out and reduce it separately.

Sear them properly, in batches, and take your time

Ten minutes of real browning on all sides is not optional and cannot be rushed by crowding the pan. Every dark patch is flavour that dissolves into the sauce over three hours. Four ribs at a time in a wide pan, turned when they release.

Make it the day before

Two things happen overnight. The fat rises and sets into a solid sheet you can lift off in one piece with a spoon — impossible to achieve by skimming a hot sauce. And the meat, cooled in its own liquid, reabsorbs some of it and firms enough to reheat without falling into shreds.

Bone-side down, meat-side up

The bone insulates the underside and the meat faces the hot air. Turned the other way, the exposed bone contributes nothing and the meat sits in the liquid, which is the arrangement you were trying to avoid.

Storing

Four days in the fridge in the sauce, three months frozen. Never store them out of the liquid — the exposed surfaces dry and the reheated meat is stringy.