Melt-in-Your-Mouth Braised Short Ribs

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Cut the short ribs into pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear the meat in hot ghee on both sides until deeply browned, about 10–15 minutes.
   ▶ ≈1:29
2. 2
   Cut celery and carrot into small pieces and roast them in the same pan until they begin to color. Add onion and leek, and continue roasting until all vegetables are evenly light brown, about 5–7 minutes.
   ▶ ≈4:03
3. 3
   Add tomato paste and roast briefly. Deglaze with red wine and let the liquid reduce completely. Repeat the deglaze-and-reduce cycle two more times, waiting until the pan crackles before adding fresh wine each time. This builds deep caramelized flavors.
   ▶ ≈5:01
4. 4
   Return the seared ribs to the pan. Add the Gulasch Traum spice blend. Stir everything together. Pour in the vegetable broth and the liquid from the canned pearl onions (for its acidic flavor).
   ▶ ≈8:01
5. 5
   Cover and place in a preheated 160 °C oven. Braise for 2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and releases easily from the bone.
   ▶ ≈9:59
6. 6
   After braising, lower the oven to 60–70 °C to keep the meat warm. On the stovetop, cook the bacon until crispy, about 5–7 minutes.
   ▶ ≈10:26
7. 7
   Remove the ribs and set aside to keep warm. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, discarding the softened vegetables. Gently tap the sieve rim to let the liquid flow through, but do not press hard or the sauce will become cloudy.
   ▶ ≈11:34
8. 8
   Mix potato starch smoothly with red wine. Slowly add this slurry to the simmering sauce in small portions, stirring, until the desired thickness is reached. Do not add too much at once or the sauce will become overly thick.
   ▶ ≈12:14
9. 9
   Stir the crispy bacon, then add a pinch of brown sugar. Toss quickly to caramelize. Finally, add the pearl onions and gently toss to combine.
   ▶ ≈12:50
10. 10
    Arrange the ribs on a preheated plate with your choice of vegetables (such as mashed potatoes). Pour the red wine sauce over the meat and top with the crispy bacon and pearl onion garnish.
    ▶ ≈13:29