Recipe: Braised Short Ribs with Pistachio Orange Gremolata

Serves 4  
  • 3 ½ pounds bone-in shorts ribs, cut into individual ribs (approx. 12 ribs total) 
  • 4 teaspoons Diamond Kosher salt 
  • Freshly ground black pepper 
  • 3 cups beef broth 
  • 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice 
  • Zest of 3 navel oranges, divided 
  • 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 
  • 10 cloves garlic, divided 
  • 4 spring onions, cleaned, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise 
  • 1 cup chopped Italian parsley 
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped salted/roasted pistachios 
  • Flake salt to taste for finishing 
  • For serving: creamy polenta, chicory salad 
  1. Preheat oven to 325. 
  2. Season short ribs with 4 teaspoons Kosher salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat and fully sear each rib on all sides, 3-4 minutes per side. (Note: You’ll need to do the browning in batches to avoid crowding the chops. Also, if you start by searing the fat side of each rib first, you won’t need any oil in the pan – the rendered fat from the ribs is all you need.)  
  3. Set seared ribs aside and discard all but a tablespoon or two of rendered fat from the Dutch oven. Add broth, orange juice, zest of 2 oranges, tamari or soy sauce, 8 cloves garlic (you can leave the peels on), and spring onions to your Dutch oven. Bring braising liquid to a simmer and use a wood spoon to scrape up the tasty brown bits left behind from the seared ribs. Once the liquid is simmering, tuck the ribs back into the pan. Bring liquid back to a simmer, cover Dutch oven, and place it in your preheated oven.  
  4. While the ribs are braising, toss together your gremolata by combining chopped flat leaf parsley, pistachios, zest of remaining orange, 2 cloves finely chopped garlic. Add a few pinches of flake salt to taste.  
  5. Ribs will need 2-3 hours of braising time. Check on ribs after 2 hours. You know they’re done when the meat is tender and falling from the bone. Gently remove ribs from the braising liquid (trying to keep meat attached to the bone for a prettier presentation). Discard cooking liquid and veggies. 
  6. For serving: place short ribs on a bed of creamy polenta, top with gremolata, and serve with a side of chicory salad.