Recipe: slow-cooked red wine braised beef short ribs with herbed polenta toast

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef Short Ribs or 6 Bone in Short Ribs (about 4 x 2 inch pieces)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups diced onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 4 cups Roasted Beef Stock (recipe follows), divided
• 15 fresh thyme sprigs
• 7 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 3/4 cup instant polenta
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced thyme leaves
• 3 green onions, green part only, cut diagonally into 1/8 inch strips
• GARNISH
• Fried shoestring potatoes (optional)

Directions

1. Mix flour, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Coat beef Short Ribs in flour mixture. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot; coat with cooking spray. Brown half ribs evenly, about 4 to 5 minutes per side; remove from skillet. Repeat remaining ribs; remove ribs from skillet. Reduce heat to low; add wine. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until browned bits attached to skillet are dissolved.
2. Add onions, celery and carrot to slow cooker. Place ribs on vegetables. Pour wine mixture over ribs. Add 1 cup Roasted Beef Stock, thyme and rosemary sprigs. Cover; cook HIGH 6 hours or LOW 7 hours or until beef is fork-tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook polenta according to package instructions, replacing water with Roasted Beef Stock. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
   Line 8 by 8-inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Coat with cooking spray. Pour polenta into prepared dish, spreading evenly. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
4. Invert polenta onto cutting board. Cut into 6 equal squares. Cut each square diagonally in half, forming a triangle. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Place green onions in small bowl of ice water. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.
6. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of polenta triangles; cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove polenta from skillet to same baking sheet. Repeat using remaining 1 teaspoon oil and remaining polenta triangles, if needed. Remove from skillet to baking sheet. Keep warm in 170°F oven until ready to use.
7. Remove ribs from slow cooker; keep warm. Discard thyme and rosemary sprigs from slow cooker. Strain cooking liquid through colander or fine mesh strainer; discard vegetables.
8. Place 2 polenta triangles into each of four large shallow bowls; top with ribs. Pour 1/3 cup cooking liquid over ribs. Drain green onions from water. Garnish with green onion and shoestring potatoes, as desired.

Test Kitchen Tips
Roasted Beef Stock:

Preheat oven to 475°F. Place 6 to 8 pounds beef bones, 2 cups diced yellow onions, 1 cup sliced carrots and 1/2 cup sliced celery in roasting pan. Roast in 475°F oven 45 minutes or until browned, turning once. Spread 2 tablespoons tomato paste over bones; roast 15 minutes. Remove from oven; drain fat.

Place bones and vegetables in large stockpot. Scrape bottom of roasting pan to loosen any brown bits; add to stockpot. Add 1 gallon water; bring to boil. Add 10 black peppercorns, 3 to 4 sprigs fresh parsley, 2 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves. Simmer stock 8 to 10 hours, occasionally skimming off and discarding impurities.

Remove stockpot from heat; cool 15 minutes. Strain stock through cheesecloth-lined colander into large bowl.

NUTRITION INFORMAITON
Nutrition information per serving, 4 servings: 714 calories; 35 g fat (15 g saturated fat; 18 g monounsaturated fat); 142 mg cholesterol; 771 mg sodium; 43 g carbohydrate; 4.8 g fiber; 45 g protein; 7.9 mg niacin; 0.8 mg vitamin B6; 4.9 mcg vitamin B12; 6.8 mg iron; 48.4 mcg selenium; 14.6 mg zinc; 149.3 mg choline.

This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, zinc and choline.

Nutrition information per serving, 6 servings: 620 calories; 34 g fat (15 g saturated fat; 17 g monounsaturated fat); 142 mg cholesterol; 547 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 3.2 g fiber; 42 g protein; 6.8 mg niacin; 0.6 mg vitamin B6; 4.9 mcg vitamin B12; 5.8 mg iron; 46.3 mcg selenium; 13.4 mg zinc; 140.8 mg choline.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, zinc and choline; and a good source of fiber.