39: Braised Bison Short Ribs / Goat Cheese & Sage Polenta / Steamed Asparagus

Soft, succulent, lean, and mouthwatering = WINNING! There is nothing finer than a well cooked short rib. This is what you would want as a last meal, seriously. Bison is leaner than beef with less fat, and it’s mightily delicious. As the cool weather comes to a wrap so does my slow cooking madness. This is probably the last time I braise meat this season. The house was warm as all get out, and it smelled incredibly good in here.

Tonight’s dinner is a good balance of richly flavored yet subtle seasoning that doesn’t overpower anything else on the plate. This dish is hands on towards the end, but it is so worth the wait, especially since there is an overnight marinade involved. The creamy, cheesy goat cheese polenta is a nice backdrop to the meat, and the steamed asparagus provided a crunchy texture to contrast the soft meat and polenta.

We drank GD Vajra’s 2006 Barolo (Italy), the King of Wines, with this dinner. The wine is slightly fruit forward, jammy really,  with a touch of tannins and acidity you’d expect out of a barolo.  It’s well structured and pairs well with hearty meat dishes.

For more slow cooked recipes, check out:  venison stew, Tuscan pork stew, five hour bolognese, veal chops (most viewed recipe), curry goat stew (3rd most viewed recipe), and elk meatballs.

Ingredients and Directions:

For the meat-

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 lbs bison short ribs with bones, cut 2 inches thick (ask your butcher, or substitute beef)

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 leeks, finely chopped

1 large carrot, diced

1 medium fennel bulb, diced

3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

1 bottle of dry red wine

2 thyme sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig, 1 sage sprig (all from my garden!)

2.5 cups chicken stock

For the polenta-

3/4 cup cornmeal

2 1/4 cups water

1 1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

1/2 cup goat cheese, room temperature

1/2 a large yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

12 asparagus spears

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Season the ribs well with salt and pepper. Toss meat to the hot oil, turning once, for about 20 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish in a single layer.

Now add leeks, carrots, fennel and garlic to the same skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the wine and herbs and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the hot marinade over the ribs, let cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Turn the ribs at least once in the marinade. There will be some fat build up in the pan, but don’t worry about it because it will be skimmed off later in the cooking process.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the ribs and marinade to a large Dutch oven. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for 90 minutes. Remove the cover and braise for an additional 45 minutes. Meanwhile, it’s time to start the polenta.

Sauté garlic and onions over medium heat in a large pot, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add water and milk and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Slowly and thoroughly whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 15 more minutes. Cover and keep warm if done before meat. Stir in cheese and sage a few minutes before serving. Boil some well salted water for the asparagus during the last 15 minutes of the polenta, and steam asparagus to your liking.

The meat should be done braising at this point. Transfer the meat to a clean shallow baking dish, discarding the bones. Strain the sauce into a bowl and skim off as much fat as possible with a spoon, discarding veggies. This is somewhat tedious, but it’s incredibly important because your sauce will taste like fat instead of nicely flavored broth otherwise. Arrange food on plate, spoon sauce over top.

Enjoy!!