Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta is rated 5.0 out of 5 by 21.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 200 minutes
Servings: 6

These flavorful short ribs perfectly illustrate how braised meat cooked on the bone can turn out succulent and tender enough to cut with a fork. The bones also enrich the braising liquid, which marries delectably with the cheese-laced creamy polenta. A bold-flavored Syrah or Zinfandel is ideal for the pot and the table.

Looking for more dinner inspiration? Check out our collection of easy one-pot recipes.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbs. olive oil 
  • 6 lbs. meaty, bone-in, individual-cut short ribs 
  • 4 tsp. kosher salt 
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper 
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped 
  • 2 carrots, diced 
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped  
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour  
  • 2 cups hearty red wine  
  • 3 cups beef stock or broth  
  • 2 Tbs. tomato paste 
  • 1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary   
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 1 cup whole milk 
  • 1 1/3 cups quick-cooking polenta 
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving  

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 325°F. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with 2 tsp. salt and the pepper. In batches to avoid crowding, add the short ribs to the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the pot and heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Slowly stir in the wine, then the stock. Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary and bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot. The short ribs should be barely covered with liquid. If not, add hot water as needed. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot, place in the oven, and cook, moving the position of the ribs every 45 minutes or so to be sure that they are covered with liquid and are cooking evenly, until very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Transfer the ribs to a deep serving platter (don’t worry if the meat separates from the bones), and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Let the cooking liquid stand for 5 minutes. Skim off the fat from the surface and discard. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring, until reduced by about one-fourth, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot.

Just before serving, make the polenta: In a heavy saucepan, bring 3 cups water, the milk, and the remaining 2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking often, until the polenta is thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Divide the polenta among warmed deep serving bowls, top with the ribs and sauce and serve at once. Serves 6.

Variation: If you have leftover short ribs, you can easily turn them into a divine ragù. Simply remove the bones, shred the meat, stir it back into the sauce and reheat until warm. Toss with freshly cooked pappardelle.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2009).

Rated 5 out of 5 by from Amazing go to for a WOW We have made this many times and its always a crowd pleaser. Super simple, one pot, and impresses all.
Date published: 2024-02-13
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Amazing I just made this for new years day and it was AMAZING. Short ribs are not cheap so this was a treat. I made a slow cooked polenta, added a side of brussels and crusty ciabatta to extra soak up the gravy. I used a cheap bottle of Pinot Noir because that's what I had and it worked wonderful. Really easy to make, not that much work and minimal clean up. THANK YOU!
Date published: 2023-01-02
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Impressed by this recipe Fall Y’all- get some This is a favorite comfort food of mine. It tastes as good as it looks.
Date published: 2021-10-09
Rated 5 out of 5 by from One of the MOST amazing dishes I’ve ever made. This recipe is perfect! The only change I made was sautéed mushrooms on the side and added some of the braising sauce. In each bite, we would stop to say WOW!
Date published: 2021-04-23
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Wow - it was a family hit! Easy recipe to follow and turned out absolutely delicious. A few minor modifications - when I added the red wine, I reduced it for a few minutes before adding the beef stock, etc. I took another reviewer's advice and put longer pieces of carrots in instead of small cubes - the kids really enjoyed eating those when the dish was done. I made rosemary potatoes instead of polenta. Lastly, I do not own a dutch oven large enough to fit this entire recipe so I broke it in two and cooked it in two different dishes - worked perfectly! Thanks for this yummy recipe - this will be a staple in our house now!
Date published: 2021-01-17
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Perfection Made this last night and oh so good! I used less garlic (2 cloves), 1/2 onion because I had half a bag of pearl onions in the freezer and threw them in. I would add a couple of extra carrots next time but otherwise this dish is devine!
Date published: 2020-08-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by from So tasty! Decided to try this based on the reviews and it was very good. I added some Demi glacé and served with spaetzle as my husband won’t eat polenta. Great to make ahead and reheat.
Date published: 2020-02-05
Rated 5 out of 5 by from So GOOD! Made exactly as written and oh my, DELICIOUS. Kind of like beef bourginon but much easier to prepare. This one is a keeper.
Date published: 2018-09-14
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