Braised Short Ribs with Fennel

We had a bit of a cold snap again here these past few days. Not crazy enough for snow, but cold enough to make taking the dogs out first thing in the morning especially unpleasant. This left me craving something warm, hearty, and comforting for dinner, and it brought back memories of a dish from my recent weekend in Seattle. Christiann and I went there this past weekend for a little getaway and ended up eating a crazy amount of food in a day and a half, but there were so many  good restaurants there that we had a hard time limiting ourselves. One of those was Oddfellows Cafe, which had one of the best brunch dishes I’d ever had. Braised beef short ribs with fennel, cherry tomatoes, and a fried egg on top, it was pretty much mind-blowing in the depth of its flavor and its all-around coziness. So, I decided to recreate it here for all of you; but to make it more of a dinner dish, I subtracted the fried egg (although you’re more than welcome to top yours with one if it suits your fancy).

If you’re unfamiliar with the term braising, it’s a cooking technique that requires you to sear the ingredients at a moderately high heat for a short period before finishing the cooking process at a very low heat for a long amount of time. Usually this process involves the use of a Dutch oven, aka a pot that can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven, like Le Creuset. You can sear the dish on the stovetop, then cover it to seal in all the moisture and juices, and roast it at a low heat for several hours. This allows the flavors of the dish to slowly meld into one another, and makes even the toughest cuts of meat turn into soft and spreadable slabs of butter. You can also make it in the crockpot, too, for a more hands-off method. Hope you enjoy it, friends!

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Braised Short Ribs with Fennel

Course Dinner

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 607 kcal

Author Eva Kosmas Flores

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 ounces brown button mushrooms thickly sliced
• 2 strips thick cut bacon diced
• 12 ounces frozen pearl onions
• 2 lbs beef short ribs
• 1 large fennel bulb cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 oz carrots peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes cut in half
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned on both sides and slightly wrinkled. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the bacon to the pan and fry until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the frozen pearl onions and sauté until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

To Continue Cooking in a Dutch Oven...

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the short ribs and sear on each side, then remove and set aside. Add the fennel bulb and sauté on each side until lightly golden. Add the short ribs, pearl onions, and bacon back to the pan and stir to incorporate. Add the vegetable broth, red wine, sherry vinegar, bay leaves, black pepper, thyme, nutmeg, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. Cover with the lid and place it in the oven.

2. Allow to roast for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is cooked through and very tender. Remove from the oven and salt to taste, then serve.

To Continue Cooking in a Crock Pot...

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large crockpot and stir together. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Salt to taste, then serve.

Nutrition Facts

Braised Short Ribs with Fennel

Amount Per Serving

Calories 607 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Cholesterol 135mg45%

Sodium 718mg31%

Potassium 1328mg38%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 36g72%

Vitamin A 6880IU138%

Vitamin C 29.5mg36%

Calcium 83mg8%

Iron 4.8mg27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.