Slow-cooked beef short ribs with gremolata & polenta

These slow-cooked beef short ribs are a real treat. It might take a little longer than your typical steak dinner, but it’s well worth the wait. Serve with a zesty gremolata and buttery polenta for an indulgent homecooked meal.

4 hours 50 mins

2

Hard

• 750g Field & Flower Beef Short Ribs
• 100g Field & Flower Smoked Bacon Lardons
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 400ml red wine
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Small handful fresh thyme
• 600ml beef stock
• 250g small chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and halved
• 1 tbsp softened butter
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the polenta:
• 400ml milk
• 400ml chicken stock
• 100g fine polenta
• 25g butter
• 25g grated parmesan

For the gremolata:
• Small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, finely grated zest

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C fan/gas mark 3.

2. Heat a large frying pan on the hob and add a dash of olive oil. Season the short ribs all over and then fry for 8-10 minutes or until golden on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the sliced onion and fry for 4-5 minutes or until softened and turning golden. Add the garlic and the balsamic vinegar and bubble for a minute or two. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits at the bottom and bubble for 5 minutes.

4. Pour the onion mix into a casserole dish, add the browned ribs, beef stock and small bunch of thyme and bring to the boil. Add enough stock so the ribs are covered.

5. Cook in the preheated oven for 3–4 hours, basting now and then until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. Top up with stock if it reduces too quickly.

6. About 10 minutes before the short ribs are ready to come out, fry the bacon lardons for 2-3 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for 4–5 minutes until golden.

7. When the short ribs are ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Spoon off any excess fat from the beef cooking liquid and discard. If the sauce is too thin, mix together the softened butter and flour to make a smooth paste and then whisk slowly into the cooking liquid and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

8. For the polenta heat the milk and stock in a medium sized pan and when simmering, slowly whisk in the polenta – don’t do it the other way round or the polenta will go very lumpy! Cook stirring continuously for 8-10 mins or until smooth and no longer thickening up. Add a little more stock to make it the desired consistency. It should be slightly softer than mashed potato. Stir through the butter, parmesan and season well.

9. For the gremolata, chop the parsley and mix with the chopped garlic and lemon zest in a bowl and season well.

10. To serve, divide the short ribs between 2 plates, pour the bacon and mushroom sauce over the top, place a dollop of polenta on the side and garnish with a sprinkling of gremolata.