Recently, I've noticed braised short ribs appearing as the seasonal special on many restaurant menus. Much as I love short ribs, I was happy to see pot roast offered at one of my favorite local places last weekend. But, I was surprised when the dish was served: the little square of braised beef looked exactly like a boneless short rib. 

What's the difference? Pot roast is not the name for a traditional recipe or specific cut of meat, but more of a description for a cooking method. To make pot roast, you take a large, well-marbled hunk of beef and slowly cook it with aromatics and liquid until it's so meltingly tender you can cut it with your fork. 

Short ribs are what butchers have named a cut of beef taken from a section of the first 5 rib bones. They include a short piece of rib and are typically about 2 to 3 inches square. This highly marbled and tough cut of muscle requires a long, slow cooking technique called braising. 
 
Braising is a two-step method of cooking that starts with dry heat at a high temperature to sear the outside of the meat, followed by moist heat in a tightly covered pot. During this second step, the fat in the meat dissolves, basting the meat and adding a rich texture. 

The only difference between short ribs and pot roast is the size and shape of the piece of beef, not the preparation. Pot roast is usually made with a chuck roast cut from the shoulder region. Do not try using a lean cut of beef such as an eye round or top round; marbling makes all the difference in the flavor and tenderness. 
 
Although it is possible to serve the pot roast or short ribs as soon as they've finished cooking, you'll be happier if you chill the meat and liquid to allow the fat to solidify on the top.

Once the fat is scraped away, the gravy retains great flavor without a greasy mouth feel. 

The easiest way to accomplish this fat removal is to prepare the short ribs or pot roast early in the day (they need to spend at least 2 1/2 hours in the oven). They're cooked, cooled and moved to the refrigerator for a couple of hours. About 30 minutes before you're ready to eat, cook your side dishes while the meat and gravy is reheated.
 
Recipes for short ribs range from quite simple to highly complex, based on the number of ingredients. Some cooks prefer to dredge the meat in flour before the searing step, while others use a thickening agent to make the final sauce. Aromatics, such as carrots, celery and onion are fairly typical, but you'll also find versions calling for lemongrass or ginger. 
 
Flavorings for the liquid in which the meat cooks also vary widely; some recipes call for stock, others for soy sauce and many for red wine. Remember the rule about cooking with wine: it has to be a quality vintage good enough to also serve with the meal. 

The first recipe here for short ribs is from my friend Bob LaMorte. He uses balsamic vinegar to add complexity and interest to the flavor profile and gelatin to thicken the gravy. The second recipe is for the boneless short ribs seen in the photo. Be sure to serve either version with noodles or potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce.

Bob’s Braised Beef Short Ribs 

3 1/2 lbs boneless short ribs 
kosher salt & black pepper 
2 T vegetable oil 
2 large onions 
6 garlic cloves 
4 carrots 
1 T tomato paste 
2 C red wine 
1 C beef broth 
2 T balsamic vinegar 
4 sprigs fresh thyme 
1 T chopped rosemary 
1 bay leaf 
1/4 C cold water 
1/2 t unflavored gelatin powder 
 
Place oven rack lower-middle. Preheat oven to 300 F. Peel onions and thinly slice; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; set aside.
 
Peel carrots and cut into 2-inch slices; set aside. Pat meat dry with paper towels and season with 2 t salt and 1 t pepper. Heat 1 T oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high. Add half the meat in a single layer and cook until well-browned, about 5 minutes.

Turn and cook the other side another 5 minutes. Remove cooked meat to a bowl and repeat with remaining short ribs.Reduce heat to medium and add onions. Cook until softened and lightly browned. Stir in tomato paste and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add wine and Balsamic vinegar.

Simmer until reduced by half, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add broth carrots, thyme, and bay leaf. Add beef and any accumulated juices to pot; cover and bring to simmer. Transfer pot to oven and cook until tender, 2 to 2½ hours. 

When ready to serve, place water in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin; let stand at least 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer meat and carrots to serving platter and tent with foil. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into fat separator, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Allow liquid to settle about 5 minutes and strain off fat.

Return cooking liquid to Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meat and serve. Yield: 6 servings. 

Basic Braised Short Ribs 

2 lbs boneless short ribs 
1/3 C flour 
1 t salt 
1/4 t cayenne 
1 T olive oil 
2 chopped onions 
2 sliced carrots 
2 chopped celery stalks 
2 minced garlic cloves 
2 C red wine 
2 C beef stock 
1/2 t marjoram 
1 t dried savory 
salt & pepper, to taste 

Preheat oven to 375 F.Coat the inside of a heavy baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Combine flour, salt and cayenne pepper on a plate. Dredge short ribs in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a deep skillet. Add meat and cook for about 4 minutes per side, turning once. Remove meat to the prepared pan in a single layer.

Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and wine to the skillet. Cook until reduced by half, stirring to dissolve any browned bits. Add stock, marjoram and savory; stir to combine. Pour liquid over the short ribs in the baking pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.

Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Allow pan to come to room temperature; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, remove congealed fat from the surface and transfer contents to a deep skillet.
 
Cook over medium low until heated through.

Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve ribs and gravy with noodles or boiled potatoes. Yield: 4 servings.