Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce

We love short ribs at our house. One of C's favorite dishes is Short Ribs, so much so that we had them for Christmas dinner last year.  I make them in the crockpot, I make them into empanadas, they are always greeted with chants of "more meat" from Miss F.  When I saw this recipe on The Way the Cookie Crumbles, I was struck by the idea of shredding the meat and adding back to the braising liquid.  So genius!  And so many possibilities...  These were just fantastic.  The only bad thing was how badly I wanted to eat them during the three hour cook time.  Seriously, the house smelled so good.

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 to 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
salt
1 ounce pancetta, diced
½ onion, diced small
2 carrots, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup porcini mushrooms
½ teaspoon oregano
½ cup red wine
1 (14.5 ounce) cans whole tomatoes with their juice

Season the beef ribs with salt. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it flows like water when the pot is tilted. Add the beef ribs and cook, for 2-3 minutes per side, until richly browned on all sides. Remove the ribs from the pot. Lower the heat to medium and add the pancetta to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to the plate with the short ribs. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot. Add the onions and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned on the edges, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, mushrooms, and oregano; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the wine; scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, beef ribs, pancetta, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the cover, increase the heat to medium-low, and simmer for another hour, until the beef is tender.

Transfer the ribs to a plate; shred the meat. Meanwhile, if the sauce is too thin, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until it reaches the desired thickness. Stir the meat back into the sauce. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if necessary, and serve over polenta.

Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

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