From “Frank Stitt’s Bottega Favorita,” by Frank Stitt (Artisan). Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
Four 2 1/2-inch-long kosher-cut short ribs (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1 1/4 pounds oxtail, in four pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup medium-dry sherry
2 cups red dry wine
About 4 cups chicken stock or beef stock, heated
3 thyme sprigs
3 parsley stems
1 bay leaf, broken into pieces
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, broken into pieces and rinsed
1/2 cup green Greek or Sicilian olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Parsley and Orange Zest Gremolata (see below)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring the meat to room temperature. Have at the ready a roasting pan large enough to hold the short ribs and oxtails snugly in a single layer.
Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the meat. Add the short ribs to the hot oil, in batches, and brown well all over, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a rack to rest. Add the oxtails to the pan and brown well all over. Transfer to the rack.
Add the remaining two tablespoons olive oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent. Add the sherry, scraping up the browned bits, bring to a boil, and boil until thick and syrupy. Pour in the red wine, bring to a boil, and reduce until it becomes syrupy. Remove from the heat.
Arrange the short ribs and oxtails in the roasting pan. Add the vegetables and their cooking liquid, along with enough warm stock to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the meat. Add the thyme, parsley stems, bay leaf and porcini. Cover with a piece of parchment placed directly on the meat, then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Place the roasting pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 310 degrees. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is very tender — check for doneness by transferring an oxtail and short rib to a cutting board; the meat should be falling off the bones. If it isn’t, return the meat to the pan, cover with the parchment and foil, and continue cooking until it is tender.
When the meat is done, transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest, uncovered.
Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan, pressing on the vegetables with the back of a spoon or spatula to release all the concentrated flavors. Place the saucepan half on and half off a burner and bring to a very gentle simmer over medium to medium-low heat, skimming off the fat that accumulates on the cool side of the pan. Continue simmering and skimming for 20 minutes, until the liquid is slightly reduced and no fat remains.
Transfer short ribs and oxtails to a pot, add a little braising broth, and warm gently over low heat.
Serve the meat with warm creamy polenta, with more of the braising liquid spooned over. Garnish with the green olives and gremolata.
Parsley and Orange Zest Gremolata
Ingredients
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Zest of 1/2orange, removed with a zester and chopped
Zest of 1 lemon, removed with a zester and chopped
1 small garlic clove, crushed and very finely chopped
Directions
Combine the parsley, zests, and garlic on a cutting board and finely chop them together. Scrape into a small bowl. Use as soon as possible.
