Braised Beast

This method works for any cut of meat that needs to be cooked long and slowly to be tender. Short ribs, brisket, shank, chuck roasts are all candidates for this style of cooking. Short ribs cooked this way are my absolute favorite. Add carrots, potatoes, etc. to the pot for the last 45 minutes if you want.

While this is written to use a Dutch oven and, well, your oven, it can obviously be made in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. And if you're using more lean meat, like stew meat, add a little bit of chicken schmaltz for richness.

INGREDIENTS

• 2T light tasting olive oil or chicken schmaltz
• 3 lbs beef (short ribs, chuck, shank, brisket, etc)
• Salt and pepper
• 6 medium onions, cut into rings
• 6+ fat garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 2T brown sugar
• 1T tomato paste
• 1/2 dry red wine 
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 springs fresh thyme
• 1T sherry, rice, or apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven on stove top until just smoking. Brown beef well and evenly on all sides. Remove from pot, season with salt and pepper.

Pour off most of the fat. Saute the onions and garlic until browned. Use chicken stock to deglaze pot, stirring up the brown bits on the bottom.  Stir in the sugar and tomato paste.

Return beef to the pot, stir in wine and herbs. Cover pot with aluminum foil, then pot lid. Bake until meat is falling off the bone, 2-3.5 hours depending on the cut. Stir in the vinegar just before serving.