Braised Short Rib Stew

I love short ribs, I could eat them with a spoon. I wanted to make them for dinner Sunday night, and my husband wanted stew (beef bourguignon, to be exact)....so, I decided to integrate the two.  Braised short ribs in a red wine-french onion sauce, served over creamy goat cheese polenta. How do you like that, Julia Schmulia?

Recipe

• 3-4 lb bone-in short ribs
• 1/4 cup corn starch or flour
• 2 pieces bacon
• 1 medium onion
• ~1 bottle red wine (I used pinot noir)
• 1 can french onion soup
• 1 can beef broth
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups chopped carrots

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Start by cooking the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat on the stove. Once all the fat has been rendered, transfer the bacon to a plate and increase the temp to medium high. Pat the short ribs dry, trim off any excess fat, sprinkle with S&P, then dust with either flour or corn starch (I was cooking gluten free for my sister, so opted for corn starch).  Add the short ribs to the pot, browning on all sides (about 4 minutes per side). Once browned, transfer the meat to a plate and add the chopped onions - drizzle with a little olive oil if necessary. Cook for several minutes, then deglaze the pan with about 2 cups of red wine. Let reduce for about 5 minutes over medium high heat. Place the short ribs back in the pot, then add in the french onion soup and beef broth. Tie several sprigs of fresh thyme with kitchen string, then throw them in with a bay leaf. Add more wine to almost submerge the ribs (I used almost a full bottle). Cover the pot, then place in the oven. Cook for two hours, then add in the carrots and mushrooms and cook for 1 hour more.

When ready to serve, transfer the meat and vegetables to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Remove the bones from the short ribs (they should just fall right off). Place the pot on the stove over high heat, and bring to a boil for several minutes to thicken up, skimming off the fat as needed. If necessary, add in a couple tablespoons of corn starch or flour - whisked with water - into the mixture. I used 2 tablespoons corn starch.

I served the stew over creamy goat cheese polenta, recipe to follow!