For Michael Hurwitz, director of GrowNYC’s Greenmarket program, the arrival of September means it’s time for two things: harvest and football. Put those two together and you get Sunday Short Ribs in Cider and Tomatoes, which he serves during halftime. Find this and more great seasonal recipes in The Edible Brooklyn Cookbook.
Sunday Short Ribs in Cider and Tomatoes
Serves 8
5-6 lb short ribs
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 liter cider, preferably pear
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
8 small carrots, chopped
6 ribs celery, chopped
4 whole very large tomatoes, preferably heirlooms, chopped
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
12 oz oatmeal stout beer, such as Samuel Smith
3 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
soft polenta or mashed potatoes, for serving
1. Cover the short ribs with salt and pepper and place in a large bowl. Pour in the cider and marinate for 3 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.
2. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large oven-proof roasting pan or Dutch oven with a lid and heat over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the ribs and brown well on all sides, about 8 minutes, working in batches.
3. Remove the ribs from the pan, set aside, and wipe out all but a tablespoon or two of the fat. (If using grass-fed beef, there will be much less oil in the pan.) Add the onions and saute until the begin to soften. Add the carrots, celery, and tomatoes and continue to saute for several minutes until all are soft.
4. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Add the ribs back to the pan, standing them up on their ends in between the vegetables, and add the stock and beer. The liquid should fill about half the pot, and the ribs should be covered about three-quarters of the way up. If the ribs are very fatty, use less stock and more cider or water.
5. Add the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves, and bring the pot to a low boil. Cover and place in oven. The ribs will be ready to eat after 4 hours, but will be much better if left to braise for 6 hours.
6. Strain the sauce and vegetables through a sieve and return the sauce to the roasting pan to reduce by half. Serve the ribs and sauce over a bowl of soft polenta or mashed potatoes.
