Beer-Braised Short Ribs

Name: Beer-Braised Short Ribs
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 8 pounds beef short ribs; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 6 slices applewood-smoked bacon; 3 cups coarsely chopped yellow onion; 10 cloves crushed garlic; 3 (12-ounce) bottles Shiner Bock or other dark beer; 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 12 medium carrots, coarsely chopped; 1 cup tawny port; 6 cups whole milk, or more; 2 cups fine-grained cornmeal or polenta; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)

December 14, 2011

I’ve yet to meet a man—Texan or otherwise—who can resist these meltingly tender short ribs. (Most women can’t either, but they tend not to eat as many.) Serve them over a pile of creamy cornmeal mush and you’ll have a party full of satisfied customers. At one gathering, I asked a group of guys how many ribs they thought they’d eat. The majority estimated that three would be plenty. They changed their tunes after taking a few bites and revised the number upward to four or five—and they kept their word. Short ribs come in varying sizes, so I figure about a pound per person, especially if my guest list includes a bunch of guys with big appetites.

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