# Tomato and Rosemary Short Ribs Over Polenta

Short ribs braise in tomato paste, broth and rosemary, and the skimmed sauce goes over soft polenta.

 

 

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## Tomato and Rosemary Short Ribs Over Polenta

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko

 

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0.0 from 0 votes ** 

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

7

hours 

30

minutes

Short ribs braise in tomato paste, broth and rosemary, and the skimmed sauce goes over soft polenta.

### Ingredients

- 4 lb bone-in short ribs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 cup dry polenta
- 4 cups water, for the polenta
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

### Directions

- Season the ribs and sear them 1 to 2 minutes per side in the hot oil.
- Put the onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Stir the tomato paste into the broth.
- Set the ribs on top and pour the broth around them, never covering the meat.
- Add the rosemary sprig.
- Cover and cook on LOW, toward 8 hours for bone-in or toward 6 for boneless.
- Probe for 195 to 205°F.
- Lift out the ribs, fish out the rosemary and skim the fat.
- Start the polenta while the ribs rest, whisking the polenta into boiling salted water and cooking until thick.
- Stir in the Parmesan and spoon the ribs and sauce over the polenta.

 

### Notes

 

A boneless batch will look thin over polenta. Thicken it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of sauce.

 

  

## Why tomato and rosemary pair with ribs

 

Tomato paste adds savory depth and a little acid, and rosemary stands up to beef without taking over. Together they give the sauce the feel of an Italian braise.

 

Soft polenta is the right landing for a loose sauce.

 

## Polenta tips and swaps

 

Whisk the polenta constantly at the start, then less often as it thickens. Thyme can replace rosemary. Do not add more than one sprig of rosemary, since it turns medicinal over a long cook.

 

Mashed potatoes or buttered pappardelle also work. A side of sautéed kale adds a bitter edge.

 

## Make ahead

 

The ribs and sauce reheat well for 4 days. Make the polenta fresh, because it sets firm in the fridge.

 

The usual mistake is covering the meat with broth. It dilutes the sauce and leaves the ribs boiled instead of braised.

 

## Thickening the sauce

 

Bone-in ribs release enough gelatin to give the sauce body. For boneless, the cornstarch trick from the card is the fix. Stir the cornstarch into a cold spoonful of sauce first, then return it to the pan, and let it bubble a minute to lose any raw taste.