Porcini-Balsamic Glazed Short Ribs

I was recently invited to a wine dinner at DeLille Cellars over in Woodinville, a small suburb of Seattle. The invitation came from my friends Charlene and Greg Steinhauer, who are regulars at Bennett’s. We took a tour of the winery to see how DeLille has managed to continue producing great wine year after year after year. As a fellow business owner, it’s always fascinating for me to see the ways other people are able to cultivate the dedication and enthusiasm that is required to remain successful, particularly in an environment as competitive as the wine industry.


After the tour, we all sat down to dinner and began my favorite part of any evening: great conversation over really good food and wine. As we talked, Charlene told me about how much she had loved the short ribs at Bennett’s and that she wishes that they were on the menu again. When the wine was poured, Charlene raved about the DeLille D2 Bordeaux blend and how it should be on the wine list at Bennett’s. Although separate recommendations, they gave me an idea. We’d never incorporated a drink into the special at Bennett’s before, but this seemed like a perfect opportunity: beautiful braised short ribs with a luscious wine. Judging from the response, we should do these pairings more often!

Porcini-Balsamic Glazed Short Ribs
4 servings

3 cups balsamic vinegar
1.5 oz porcini mushrooms, powdered
3 tbsp salt
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp granulated garlic

8-4 oz boneless short ribs

Heat the vinegar in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, uncovered, until reduced to one third, to about one cup. Remove from heat and let cool.

Mix the reduction with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl until thick, about the consistency of cake batter. Rub the glaze into each of the pieces of short rib. Pre-heat the oven to 550 degrees F. Cook short ribs for about 15 minutes, or until the glaze is caramelized. Reduce heat to 250 and braise for two hours, until soft and tender. Remove from the oven and let rest a couple minutes before serving.

At Bennett’s we served these short ribs with some kale chips and a potato gratin that had artichokes and jalapenos. What would you serve this with? Let me know in the comments about side dish or wine pairing ideas!

Porcini Tapenade-Rubbed Short Ribs with Rapini and Roasted Potatoes

    The Seattle weather has done it again. Earlier this week, it was grey and chill and I thought, "Fine, Seattle summer, if you're not ready yet, then to spite you, this week's special is going to be the perfect dish for what seems to be a never-ending overcast spring - hearty braised short rib." Now it’s looking like a great Seattle summer weekend.  Oh well, no change in weather can make me not want short ribs.
    I'm always on a quest for new ways to create umami flavors in our dishes. This week was the first time I experimented with using porcini mushrooms to provide that savory element.  Porcinis are a traditional, Italian variety of mushroom, so I made a wet rub by combining them with some other classic Italian flavors, the tangy saltiness of kalamata olives, aromatic rosemary, and extra virgin olive oil. I think it turned out pretty well, but I'd love some feedback or suggestions on it!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Porcini Tapenade Rub
1/3 cups pitted kalamata olives
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp chopped garlic
1/3 cup dried, ground porcini mushrooms
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp honey
1/3 cup olive oil

4 8oz short rib cuts

Braising Liquid
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup red wine (Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F. Put the kalamata olives, rosemary, garlic, porcini, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the chopped jalapeño into food processor and add the honey and olive oil as you purée it all into a rough paste. Massage the rub into the short ribs and let them soak up the flavors for about 20 to 30 minutes. Place them on a sheet pan and roast them for 30 minutes, turning them over at 20 minutes (or when they've begun to caramelize on the outside).

Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 280 degrees F. Transfer any remaining porcini tapenade rub into a braising pan with the other braising liquid ingredients, making only a very shallow layer of liquid. Place the short ribs in the braising pan on top of the onions and braise them for about 2 to 4 hours, checking every half hour after 1 1/2 hours. The meat should give a little without falling apart. If the meat starts to go dry at all, make sure to add a little more braising liquid to keep the moisture in the oven up until the short ribs start giving up their own juices. You want to make sure that the rub doesn't get lost in during the braising!

I recommend serving the short ribs with roasted potatoes and a lighter green like rapini with your favorite onion vinaigrette, but I'd love to hear your idea about other pairings. Speaking of pairings, what type of wine would you pair with this dish at home?