Braised Short Ribs with Parsley Lemon Gremolata

I don't know about you, but immediately following Thanksgiving (and not one day sooner) we like to put our Christmas hats on and get ready for the holidays. In our household that means going out and getting a Christmas tree (we cut down our very own this year!) and hanging decorations while listening to Christmas music and watching our favorite holiday movies. 

It also means lots of fires in the fireplace and delicious wine gets consumed by the glass (I'll say glass but I really mean bottle) and more importantly those stick to your bones kind of meals start to get cooked. 

This is definitely one of those cold winter night meals that tastes delicious and makes you want to curl up next to the fire with a glass of wine. It was also fitting that it's one of the first recipes I've made out of my "Newlywed Cookbook" since it's the first of each holiday as a newlywed! 

These braised short ribs are so tender, because you cook them in your oven in a delicious broth with tasty aromatic vegetables until the meat literally falls off the bone. I served it with a creamy mushroom polenta (don't worry, I'll be sharing that recipe soon!) and it was so good my mouth is watering while I type this (I wish I had leftovers!). My only regret is that I only made enough for dinner that night, so there weren't any leftovers to take to work for lunch the next day...although, I'm not sure there would have been left overs either  way. 

 I hope you cook this while you're decorating your tree or settling into your family holiday traditions!

Isn't husband cute with all the Christmas trees?

Husband did all the work, but I wanted a photo with the saw too!

I got to do the honors this year! (Only because we got a Christmas Tree that was the same height as me!)

Braised Short Ribs

1 Bay Leaf

1 Sprig of Thyme

1 Garlic Clove

Salt and Pepper

2 1/2 lbs Beef Short Ribs

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 C Dry White Wine

3 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Large Onion Chopped

2 Large Carrots cut in 2 in pieces 

2 Stalks Celery cut in 2 in pieces

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the ribs on a piece of parchment paper and season with salt and pepper. 

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or oven safe pot with a lid. Add the ribs and brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the dutch oven and set aside. Add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits. Add the broth and return the ribs along with the onions, carrots, celery and herbs. 

Cover and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. As soon as it reaches a simmer, transfer the dutch oven to the oven and cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone (2-2 1/2 hours). 

Remove the ribs and whole vegetables from the oven and let sit . Meanwhile simmer the liquid over the stove for about 20 min till the sauce reduces. 

Make the Gremolata

1/3 c coursely chopped parsley

1 lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper 

Mix the parsley, olive oil, juice of the lemon and salt and pepper in a bowl. 

Serve the beef short ribs with the sauce drizzled over and the gremolata drizzled over the top