Cabernet Braised Short Ribs with Polenta

Adapted from Cooking Light

I have had this recipe on my list for quite some time, but I knew it would be somewhat time consuming. Today, I decided to take advantage of doing online training from home and cooking this during my breaks. It proved to be pretty difficult because of that, just in terms of multiple steps, but boy will it make your house smell amazing! I gotta say, there's nothing better than hearty meals in the Fall and Winter...good ole comfort food! I did make a couple of modifications - I used boneless short ribs instead of bone-in, and I also used pre-cooked polenta because that is the only thing that was available.  I am posting the original recipe, but my photo is with my modifications :)

Ingredients

Ribs:

• 16 (3-ounce) bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed
• 5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 1/2 cups cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine
• 1 1/4 cups lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Gremolata:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Polenta:

• 3 cups fat-free milk
• 1 cup water
• 5/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan. Add 8 ribs, and sauté for 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove ribs. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 8 ribs. Add onion and the next 5 ingredients (through rosemary) to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 13 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Add broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Return ribs to pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours, turning ribs after 45 minutes. Remove ribs from pan, and strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Discard the solids. Skim fat; discard. Return cooking liquid to pan. Combine flour and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl, stirring well. Add to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook for 11 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup. Stir in vinegar.
4. To prepare gremolata, combine 1/3 cup parsley, 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind, and minced garlic.
5. To prepare polenta, bring 3 cups milk, 1 cup water, 5/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to a boil over medium heat. Slowly stir in 1 cup polenta. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese. Place 1/2 cup polenta in each of 8 shallow bowls, and top each serving with 2 ribs, 2 tablespoons sauce, and about 2 teaspoons gremolata.