Braised Beef Short Ribs With Garlic And Herb Spaetzle Recipe

Prepare and season ribs

Pat short ribs dry with paper towels. Generously season all sides with kosher salt (about 2 tsp total) and freshly ground black pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and prepare vegetables.

Sear ribs

Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil and 1 tbs unsalted butter. When shimmering, sear the short ribs in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer seared ribs to a plate and set aside.

Sweat aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, and chopped celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add smashed garlic and 2 tbs tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens slightly.

Deglaze and assemble for braise

Pour in 1 cup red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Reduce wine by half, about 3–4 minutes. Return short ribs to the pot. Add beef stock to come about halfway up the ribs (about 3 cups total). Add thyme sprigs, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Braise

Bring liquid to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise until ribs are fork-tender, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Check once at 2 hours to ensure liquid is simmering gently; add a bit more stock or water if the level is too low.

Finish and rest

Carefully remove ribs from braising liquid and set on a tray. Strain braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Skim excess fat from top and reserve about 2 cups of strained braising liquid for the jus. Keep ribs warm, loosely tented with foil.

Reduce and finish jus

Place the 2 cups strained braising liquid in a saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce until slightly syrupy and concentrated, about 8–12 minutes (should reduce by roughly one-third). Taste and season with salt and pepper. If you prefer a thicker jus, whisk in up to 1 tsp cornstarch slurry and simmer an additional 1–2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 2 tbs cold cubed unsalted butter one cube at a time to enrich and gloss the sauce.

Reserve

Keep jus warm until plating. Reheat short ribs briefly in the jus if they have cooled, 5–7 minutes over low heat.

Make spaetzle batter

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs with 2 tbs milk and 1/2 cup cold water. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until a thick, sticky batter forms. Let rest 10 minutes.

Cook spaetzle

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Working in batches, press batter through a spaetzle maker or coarse colander/rescue board into the boiling water. When spaetzle float to the surface (about 1–2 minutes), cook an additional 1 minute, then scoop out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Repeat until all batter is used. Drain well and pat lightly dry.

Sauté with garlic and herbs

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tbs unsalted butter. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add drained spaetzle and sauté, tossing, until lightly golden in spots, 3–5 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley (2 tbs) and chives (1 tbs). Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Cook baby carrots

Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a simmer. Add peeled baby carrots and simmer until tender but still with slight bite, about 8–10 minutes depending on size. Drain and toss with 1 tbs unsalted butter, 1 tbs olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Quick-pickle watermelon radish (if not prepped)

If your watermelon radish is not already pickled, make a quick pickle: combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, 1 tbs sugar, and 1 tsp salt; heat until sugar dissolves, cool slightly, then pour over thinly sliced radish and let sit 15–30 minutes. Drain before plating. (If using pre-sliced pickled watermelon radish, skip this step.)

Wilt spinach

In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs unsalted butter. Add 6 cups washed spinach in batches, tossing until wilted, about 2–3 minutes total. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Plate pickled shallots

Drain 1/2 cup pickled shallots and have on hand to garnish the finished dish for acidity and brightness.

Arrange components

On warm plates, spoon a small pool of warmed natural jus where ribs will sit. Place a generous nest of garlic & herb spaetzle slightly off-center. Position one braised short rib atop the spaetzle or leaning against it. Arrange a small mound of wilted spinach beside the spaetzle and lay 3 glazed baby carrots next to the spinach. Fan a few slices of pickled watermelon radish near the carrots for color and crunch. Dot pickled shallots over the spinach and spaetzle.

Finish and serve

Spoon additional warmed jus over the short rib and around the plate. Garnish with a small sprig of thyme or a grind of black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.