Tender braised short ribs are a comfort food classic, one that my family is always excited to eat. This recipe braises the meat in wine and zevia cola, giving it an amazing depth of flavor.
This is the first time that I’ve cured meat before braising, and I did notice that the added step increased both the flavor and the tenderness of the ribs. Kosher salt and coconut sugar, along with some flavors, are packed in around the ribs to draw out moisture from the meat, allowing for more flavorful moisture to be absorbed during the braising process.
If you have the time to try this step out, it’s worth the experiment. You could cure with both salt and coconut sugar, like I outline below, or you could do it with just one of these two main ingredients. Be sure to thoroughly remove all of the cure by rinsing before moving on to the braising steps.
2 cups kosher salt
2 cups coconut sugar
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
½ cup fresh thyme
3 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 pounds boneless short ribs, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 bay leaf
½ cup dry sherry
2 cups red wine
2 (12 oz) cans Zevia Cola
Combine the cure ingredients in a large bowl. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9”x13” casserole pan. Add the ribs and then top with the remaining cure. Press the cure around the ribs on all sides
Cover and refrigerate the ribs for 2 hours. Rinse all of the cure from the ribs and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ribs and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, paprika, tomato paste, fish sauce and bay leaf. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with sherry and cook for 5 minutes until nearly evaporated. Add the wine, zevia and orange zest to the pot. Add the ribs. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven.
Braise the ribs until fork-tender, about 3 hours, turning the ribs every 60 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Calories: 488
Fat: 37g
Carbohydrates: 2g
Sodium: 157mg
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 32g
Sugar: 2g