White Wine Braised Short Ribs with Fennel

Seasoned simply with salt, pepper and fennel seeds the flavors develop beautifully in a braise of celery, onions, carrots and lots of garlic - plus the addition of Calabrian chili paste, white wine and orange peel. I like to eat this with a piece of good bread crisped in olive oil or with a heap of polenta or mashed potatoes. The extra 10 minutes of reducing the sauce and straining the vegetables makes all the difference when serving. The meat literally falls off the bone!

Active Time - 1 - 1.5 hours, divided

Inactive Time - 4 hours

Yield — 6 servings

Print Recipe

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For the short ribs

• 4-5lbs bone-in short ribs, English cut

• 6tsp kosher salt, plus more

• 2tbsp fennel seeds

• 1tbsp whole black peppercorns

• 4tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving

• 4tbsp unsalted butter

• 3 stalks celery, diced

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 large or 2 medium carrots, diced

• 2 heads of garlic, divided

• 1 tbsp Calabrian chili paste or 1tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 3 cups, or ½ bottle, good white wine

• 2 cups beef stock or beef bouillon 

• 1 orange, peeled

• Soft herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives, mint, or a combination

For the fennel salad

• 2 medium fennel bulbs, stem and cores removed, thinly sliced

• Juice of ½ orange

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 4tbsp olive oil

• Salt, to taste

Method

THE NIGHT BEFORE: On a sheet pan with a wire rack, liberally season each short rib with approximately 1tsp kosher salt per rib. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight.

Remove short ribs from the fridge and allow to come to room temp, approximately 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the spice rub. In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, add black peppercorns and crush until they are cracked, but still very coarse. Add the fennel seeds and crush until you have reached a medium-coarse texture. Pat the short ribs dry to remove any excess moisture and liberally season all sides with the spice mixture.

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Meanwhile, heat a braiser or dutch oven over medium heat and add 4tbsp olive oil. Add the short ribs fat side down in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, and sear 3-4 minutes per side. Place back on the wire rack and repeat with remaining short ribs.

While the short ribs are searing, prepare your vegetables. Coarsely dice the carrots, celery and onions and set aside in a bowl. Peel all the garlic and remove the woody end from 2/3’s of the cloves, leaving the remaining 1/3 whole. In a small food processor, or with a knife, coarsely chop 2/3’s of the cloves and set aside with the whole cloves.

When all the short ribs are seared, drain all but 1tsbp of the fat and add 4 tbsp butter immediately followed by the vegetable mixture. Sauté until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the whole garlic cloves, followed by the chopped garlic, and sauté for an addition 4-5 minutes. Add Calabrian chili paste followed by the wine and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat off.

Add the short ribs back to the pot, followed by the orange peel, and add enough beef stock to almost cover all the meat. Top with the fennel stems, cover, and place in the oven.

Braise for 4-4½ hours.

Carefully remove the meat from the pot, trying to keep the meat and the bones together, and place on a clean sheet pan and wire rack. Return the pot to the stove and reduce liquid over medium-high heat, until it has reduced by approximately half. Optional, but recommended, broil short ribs on low for 5-6 minutes while the sauce is reducing.

Meanwhile, prepare the fennel salad. Using a mandolin, thinly shave the fennel into a bowl. Add 4tbsp olive oil and citrus juice, followed by a pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Strain the liquid into a measuring cup to remove all the vegetables.

To serve, add the short ribs to a platter and cover in finely chopped herbs and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve alongside the fennel salad and polenta or bread.