Barolo-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta

⏱ 255 min · Serves 4

Slow-braised until the meat slides off the bone, these short ribs drink up a whole bottle of Barolo until the sauce turns dark, glossy and deeply savoury. Spooned over soft, buttery Parmesan polenta with a scatter of gremolata, it's the kind of Piedmontese Sunday dish that quietly steals the show.

Per serving: 1010 kcal · 62.0g protein · 54.0g carbs · 56.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.8kg bone-in beef short ribs (4 large pieces)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 750ml bottle Barolo (or a good Nebbiolo)
• 500ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 strip orange peel
• 20g dried porcini, soaked in 100ml hot water
• For the polenta:
• 1.2 litres water or light chicken stock
• 200g coarse polenta (bramata)
• 80g Parmesan, finely grated
• 50g unsalted butter
• 100ml whole milk
• For the gremolata:
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped

Method

1. Season the short ribs generously all over and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 150C fan / 170C.
2. Pat the ribs dry, dust lightly with the flour, then brown in the olive oil in a large casserole over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply crusted. Set aside.
3. Lower the heat, add the onion, carrot and celery to the same pan with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 10-12 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook 2 minutes more.
4. Pour in the Barolo, scraping the base, bring to a brisk simmer and reduce by about a third, 10 minutes. Add the stock, herbs, orange peel, the porcini and their strained soaking liquid.
5. Return the ribs, bone-side down, so they are almost submerged. Bring to a bare simmer, cover and transfer to the oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning once, until the meat is completely tender.
6. Lift out the ribs and keep warm. Strain the sauce, pressing the vegetables, then skim the fat and reduce over medium-high heat to a glossy, spoon-coating sauce, 10-15 minutes. Taste for salt.
7. For the polenta, bring the water or stock to the boil with 1 tsp salt. Rain in the polenta whisking constantly, then drop to the lowest heat and cook 35-40 minutes, stirring often, until thick and no longer gritty. Beat in the milk, butter and Parmesan.
8. Mix the gremolata ingredients. Spoon polenta into warm bowls, sit a rib on top, spoon over plenty of sauce and finish with gremolata.
9. Serve with a glass of the same wine, if there's any left.