Braised Short Ribs & King Trumpet Mushrooms with Polenta

Many believe that a beef roast is the finest holiday dinner, but how about garlicky and rich braised short ribs and mushrooms? They are simmered for hours with aromatic vegetables and herbs before being served on pillowy polenta for an incredible and warming family dinner.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Short Ribs:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4 pounds bone-in short ribs, at least 1-½ inches thick, trimmed

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed

• 1 pound RI Mushroom Co. King Trumpet mushrooms, sliced in half lengthwise

• 2 whole bulbs garlic, sliced in half horizontally

• 2 cups onion, rough chopped (½ large)

• 1 cup celery, rough chopped (~2 ribs)

• 1 cup carrot, rough chopped (~1 large carrot)

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 cups dry red wine (Malbec, Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon)

• 2 cups beef broth or mushroom broth

• 4 sprigs thyme

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)

• Pea greens, for garnish.

Polenta:

• 4-½ cups water

• 3 cups milk, plus more as needed

• 1-½ cup grits or polenta (not instant)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Heat oven to 275° F. Trim excessive fat caps from short ribs and season liberally on all sides with salt and black pepper. Prepare RI Mushroom Co. King Trumpet mushrooms by slicing in half lengthwise, and scoring the cut side in a tight crisscross, being careful to not cut all the way through the mushroom.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or lidded soup pot over medium-high heat. Sear half of the short ribs on all sides until deeply and evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate before adding half of the scored King Trumpet mushrooms, cut side down, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and repeat this process with the remaining short ribs and mushrooms.

3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of remaining fat, leaving any browned bits in the pan. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic bulbs, cut side down, and cook undisturbed, until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add onion, celery, and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and continue to cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste lightly caramelizes on the bottom of the pot, about 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add red wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape up any caramelized bits. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in beef/mushroom broth and thyme sprigs.

6. Using tongs, return short ribs bone side up and mushrooms to the pot, along with any juices, nestling so that both short ribs and mushrooms are submerged (if they are just barely covered, add a few splashes of beef stock as necessary to cover).

7. Bring to a simmer, then cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook, undisturbed, until short ribs are super tender and falling off the bone, about 2-½ to 3 hours.

8. Once the short ribs are almost done, prepare polenta. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and milk and bring to a boil. Season generously with salt and slowly whisk in the grits or polenta. Bring the mixture back to a boil while whisking. Continue whisking until the polenta is slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

9. Reduce heat to low and partially cover the saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is tender and thickened, about 30-40 minutes. Splash in more milk as needed while cooking if they thicken too much- they should be creamy and swirl easily. Stir in the butter and season to taste with salt. Remove the polenta from the heat and cover it until you're ready to serve, up to 30 minutes.

10. Using tongs, gently remove the ribs and mushrooms from the pot and transfer them to a large plate or sheet tray. Skim excess fat off the top of the sauce and discard. Strain the sauce into another medium saucepot, discarding the vegetables and garlic bulbs. Chop the mushrooms into smaller bite-sized pieces, if desired.

11. If you want the sauce thicker, combine cornstarch with ¼ cup of water, bring the sauce to a boil, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and bring to a boil again. Remove sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper.

12. Prepare bowls with a base of polenta, followed by short ribs and King Trumpet mushrooms dipped in the sauce, a drizzle of more sauce, and finally pea greens or chopped parsley. Enjoy immediately!

    Chef’s Notes:

    • If holding cooked polenta for longer than 30 minutes, drizzle some milk over its surface before covering to prevent a skin from forming. Before serving, reheat the grits over low, stirring and adding more milk or water, if needed.

    • If pea greens are unavailable, garnish the short ribs with chopped fresh parsley.