Cola Braised Short Ribs

Cola braised short ribs make a super rich dish, great for a special dinner party or date night. It’s time consuming, but so worth it! Sometimes I adjust some of the recipe’s measurements: I may use less garlic, swap out ‘sherry vinegar’ for the ‘red wine vinegar‘ and use risotto instead of polenta. I swap out the type of cheese in the polenta, depending on what I have on hand. Use a good bottle of red wine, one to also drink with the dish. It doesn’t have to break the bank.

1. 1. For the short ribs: Remove short ribs from refrigerator 30 minutes before preparing. Preheat oven to 163°C (325°F). Pat short ribs dry. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the ribs. Working in batches, add short ribs and cook until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate, reserving drippings in Dutch oven; set short ribs aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery to drippings in Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add a bit more oil if dry, not enough juice/fat. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and tomato paste evenly coats vegetables, 2 minutes. Add red wine; bring to a boil over medium-high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken slightly 3 minutes. Add cola and beef stock; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, add short ribs back into Dutch oven, coating in sauce, one layer if possible. Tie together thyme and parsley sprigs using kitchen twine and add into pot; add bay leaves. Cover and bake for 2 hours.

3. Uncover Dutch oven, and continue cooking, undisturbed, until sauce starts to thicken and reduce and short ribs are very tender when pierced using a fork, about 45 minutes.

4. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Place Dutch oven over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vinegar. Season with salt to taste. Return short ribs to Dutch oven; cover and keep warm.

5. For the polenta: In a medium saucepan, combine milk with 473 ml (2 cups) water. Bring to a bare simmer, just until bubbles form around edges; be careful not to boil or burn. Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in polenta. Cover and cook 10-15 min, stirring occasionally. Add Parmesan cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve polenta in shallow bowl, topped with sauce and 1-2 ribs per serving.