Inspired By: Bottega in Napa

Braised Short Ribs, Creamy Polenta, Peperonata, and Affogato

The first time I ever had short ribs was at Bottega in Yountville, a small town in Napa Valley in the middle of wine country where everything seems to revolve around good food and good wine. We were there last September for my little sister’s 40th birthday, and after a day of wine tastings, we went to dinner and the waiter recommended the short ribs.

I had never ordered short ribs before — I didn’t grow up eating them — but I ordered them anyway, and I still think about that meal.

They were served over creamy polenta with peppers and a rich, slow-cooked sauce, and it was one of those dinners you don’t forget.

A slow dinner, set and ready — a glass of wine and no where else to be.

I used to watch Michael Chiarello on Food Network all the time when my boys were little and we were living in the mountains. My husband would be at work, and Food Network was my adult interaction for the day. I watched Michael Chiarello, Giada, and Ina Garten more than anyone, and in a way they felt like friends keeping me company while I learned how to cook.

So making this dinner felt like all of those things coming together — Napa, Food Network, learning to cook, and the kind of dinner that takes all afternoon and makes the house smell like something good is coming.

Yesterday was a cold spring day in Montana, the kind of day where the air is crisp and it still feels like winter is trying to hang on. It felt like the right kind of day to stay inside and cook something that takes time, so I finally decided to try to recreate that dinner — braised short ribs with creamy polenta, peperonata, and affogato for dessert.

Some dinners are just dinner, and some dinners are an experience. This is the second kind.

The Menu

• Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine, Tomato & Espresso

• Creamy Polenta with Parmigiano Reggiano

• Peperonata

• Affogato with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Planning the Day

This is the kind of dinner you plan for, not the kind you rush. Earlier in the day, make the ice cream base, chop the vegetables, measure the wine and stock, and grate the Parmesan so everything is ready. About three hours before dinner, start the short ribs so they have time to slowly braise in the oven.

While they cook, you’ll have time to clean the kitchen, set the table, and get everything ready for the polenta and peperonata. By the time dinner is ready, all that’s left to do is plate and sit down.

Simple ingredients

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine, Tomato & Espresso

Ingredients

• 3–4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs

• Kosher salt

• 2–3 tablespoons flour (for dusting)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 cup red wine

• 1 cup beef stock

• ½ cup espresso

• 1 cup crushed tomatoes

• 1 rosemary sprig

• 2 thyme sprigs

• 1 bay leaf

• Parsley, for garnish

• Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Sear until deeply browned on all sides.

Instructions

1. Salt the short ribs generously on all sides and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

3. Lightly dust the ribs with flour and shake off the excess.

4. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides until deeply browned, about 10–15 minutes total. Remove the ribs and set aside.

5. In the same pot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes until softened.

6. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes.

7. Pour in the red wine and let it simmer for a few minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

8. Add the beef stock, espresso, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf.

9. Return the ribs to the pot. The liquid should come about halfway up the ribs.

10. Cover and place in the oven for 2½–3 hours, until the ribs are fork tender.

11. Remove the ribs to a plate and discard the herb stems and bay leaf.

12. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.

13. Return the ribs to the sauce and spoon the sauce over the top. Keep warm until ready to serve.

14. Serve over creamy polenta and finish with Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley.

Simmer the sauce until thickened and glossy.

Plating the Dinner

To serve this dinner, use shallow bowls so the polenta and sauce stay together.

To plate:

1. Spoon creamy polenta into the bottom of a bowl.

2. Place one short rib on top of the polenta.

3. Spoon sauce over the rib.

4. Add peperonata on the side.

5. Finish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

6. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

7. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

8. Serve immediately while everything is hot.

Braised short ribs over creamy polenta with peperonata and Parmigiano Reggiano

Final

While the ribs cook, you have time to clean the kitchen, set the table, and get everything ready for the rest of dinner. By the time the sauce is finished and the polenta is hot, everything else is already done.

All that’s left to do is plate dinner, pour a glass of wine, and sit down.