Bourbon Glazed Short Ribs
Braised low until they give way under a spoon, then glazed hard in a reduction of their own braising liquid.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 3 hr 15 min
- Total
- 3 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 4 generous servings
What you need
- 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs, English cut
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup bourbon
- 3 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Method
-
Season early
Salt the short ribs generously and leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Dry surfaces brown better and the salt has time to work inward.
-
Sear hard
Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven until it smokes lightly. Brown the ribs on every side, working in batches so the pan never crowds. This takes about 15 minutes and it is not the step to rush.
-
Start the braise
Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat. Add the onion, carrots and garlic, cook for 6 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and let it darken for 2 minutes.
-
Deglaze
Take the pot off the heat before adding the bourbon, then return it and simmer for 4 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol. Scrape up every brown bit stuck to the bottom.
-
Braise
Add the stock, soy sauce, brown sugar and bay leaves. The liquid should come about two thirds up the ribs. Cover and cook at 300°F for 3 hours, until a fork twists in the meat with no effort.
-
Glaze
Lift the ribs out. Strain the liquid, skim the fat, and boil it down to about 1 cup of glossy sauce. Return the ribs, spoon it over, and slide them under the broiler for 3 minutes to lacquer the tops.
Chill to defat
If you have the time, refrigerate the braise overnight. The fat sets into a solid cap you can lift off in one piece, and the sauce underneath is cleaner and beefier for it.