How to Make Braised Short Ribs

Jeff Le Pine: We are here at Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club, just on 5th Avenue, a place for the stars like to come hang out late at night, have some wonderful cocktails, some amazing food. And speaking of food, we get to join the chef downstairs and he is going to cook us some braised short ribs which I hear just melt in your mouth and I am going to eat all of them. Why? Because my job is amazing! Hello! We are here with John Keller, he’s the executive chef here at Bruno Jamais. Chef John Keller: A lot of people get turned off by short ribs I think because of all the fat so I try to eliminate the fat. Now, I am going to use the bones for stock, throw them in the oven. Jeff Le Pine: Alright so after about 12 minutes, we have the bones and show us the color that you are looking for. Chef John Keller: I mean basically see it is almost black like charred, I mean you do not want burnt necessary because it will give bitterness Jeff Le Pine: Just like dark brown Chef John Keller: Exactly, real dark and brown. Jeff Le Pine: Alright, so what is the next step? Chef John Keller: So now, all we really have here , I have a half of cup of tomato paste, six cups of water here. Now basically, it is cold, all stocks you’re going to soak of with cold water. Okay. Basically, tomato paste, water, bones, that’s it! I turn on the high heat, once it starts to boil, I will turn it down to a simmer. I will simmer for four hours and basically all you’re really going to do is everyone’s get up and look at it and you will see a little, there’ll be like—are some that will rise at the top. And all you do, you take a ladle and skim it, you know, four hours. And if it starts to get a little lower than the bones, just add some hot water. So, we have been—say about four hours now. That’s it. So, I just get a—any type of calendar you have. And all that fat, you do not have to worry about, we’re going to get that out there later as long as I am going to take my spoon, just try to move it around. I do not really like to push a lot of it through, anything, I kind of feel that does not go through I do not really need it. Alright so I’ve got basically all of that. What you can do is you can let it sit in for about 10 minutes and all the fat arise on top and then you can skim it again. Get rid of all the fat that you do not want in there. Alright basically I want to get some oil in this pot here and I want to get to the smoking point. And while I’m waiting for that, I’m just going to hit my short ribs off with a little bit of salt and cracked black pepper. I just want to let that form across, it’s going to get nice and dark brown basically, nice golden brown. That’s going to take a few minutes and if you want to get all four sides. Jeff Le Pine: You do not just flip it over you actually want to get all four sides. Chef John Keller: Yeah, you want to get all four sides. Basically, I think it brings a nice color to it. Now, I got them seared on four sides. And I am just going to use this to sauté onions, carrots, celery, a few whole garlic cloves. It does not make any sense to cut them small, you know anything that you are going to cook for a few hours, it’s going to break that anyway. And what’s going to keep your sauce or your stock nice and like more pure is the less that you are breaking down these vegetables so they stand their whole form. Jeff Le Pine: It’s going to get mashed. Chef John Keller: Exactly you are just extracting the flavor. So, I am going to add this mixture right here. Now basically, what I have is about a tablespoon and a half of coriander seeds whole, about two teaspoons of whole black pepper corns, this is about a couple of wine. I will take a cheese cloth and I like to take a layer of this and just kind of sit it over the vegetables. I am going to sit my short ribs on top of this. Now, kind of basically it makes it easier so the spices and the coriander and all that that I put in there, this is going to be like just a little barrier so it does not get stocked inside of the short ribs. Basically, all I am going to do is pour this right over the top of it. I am going to take this aluminum foil then I am just going to pop this into a 350º oven. Pull this out, see how they are doing. Oh yeah, you can see how soft they look, you know. Jeff Le Pine: That is what it is about. How firm they were when they went in and then they just breaks everything down. Chef John Keller: We are just going to pull this out so I can get all that liquid and what I want to do with that liquid is reduce it down so it becomes the sauce and now, I am just going to toss the short ribs back in there to warm them up again. Now, I see you with a spoon. Jeff Le Pine: I can eat this everyday, everyday Chef John Keller: Not too shabby. Jeff Le Pine: Not too shabby at all.