Beef Short Ribs

Serve over polenta.

Ingredients:
5 pounds beef short ribs, bone on
kosher salt
freshly ground (coarse grind) black pepper
1 T vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, skin left on
2 T light brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T tamarind concentrate or paste (comes in a block)
2 fresh or dry bay leaves
1/2 cup Madeira
1 cup red wine
2 to 3 cups chicken broth

Preparing the short ribs:
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil, then the short ribs (add them in batches, if necessary) and brown on all sides. Transfer the ribs to a plate as they finish browning. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables are soft and all the browned bits in the base of the pot have been loosened. Put the short ribs (and any juices that have collected on the plate) back in the pot.

Add the light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tamarind paste, and bay leaves. Pour in the Madeira and red wine. Add enough chicken broth to just cover the ribs. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover the pot and transfer to the oven.

Braise the short ribs until they are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 4 hours, longer if the short ribs are big. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the short ribs to a plate. Let the cooking liquid settle; spoon off as much fat as possible - Ideally, refrigerate overnight and skim off the fat.

When ready to serve, set the pot on the stove over medium high heat. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and reduce to a syrupy consistency.

Serves 4 to 6