These short ribs with polenta pair bone-in beef in a red wine and tomato braise with creamy cornmeal finished with tahini and white miso. The ribs cook in a covered Dutch oven at 325°F for 2½–3 hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Then they sit in the pot while you make the polenta.
The polenta deserves just as much attention as the beef here. Garlic, butter, tahini, and white miso give it a savory finish, and each spoonful brings a little of that creamy cornmeal together with the ribs and their tomato sauce. This is a dinner to plan an afternoon around, but it’s perfect for a slow, chilly Sunday night dinner.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Why you’ll love these short ribs with polenta
- The side is part of the recipe. You don’t have to figure out what to put underneath those saucy ribs. The polenta is included, right down to adjusting its consistency before serving.
- There’s more to the braise than wine. Fresh tomatoes, balsamic glaze, milk, and a bundle of sage, rosemary, and thyme all go into the sauce. It all adds to the delicious flavor of these short ribs!
- The cooking has a clear sequence. The ribs finish first and sit in their pot while you make the polenta. You can concentrate on whisking and stirring without trying to finish both pots at once.
A few ingredients worth noting
Bone-in beef short ribs
You’ll need 7–8 bone-in beef short ribs, about 4 pounds altogether. When shopping, look for bone-in on the label and the weight, vs. the number of pieces alone.
Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper before searing. There are two different things to watch for as you cook: golden-brown surfaces during the stovetop sear, and tender meat falling off the bone after the oven braise. The first happens early; the second is what you’re looking for before moving on to the polenta.
Red wine, fresh tomatoes and warmed milk
Use a dry red wine for the braise, such as Merlot or Chianti. It goes into the Dutch oven after the onion, garlic, and seasonings, when you scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Those bits stay in the sauce rather than being left behind after searing the beef.
The tomatoes are fresh: 3–4 large Del Fresco Pure tomatoes, chopped (or about 4 cups). Tomato paste goes into the sauce too, along with sugar and balsamic glaze. Check that bottle when you’re gathering ingredients; the recipe calls for glaze, not balsamic vinegar.
Whole milk also belongs in this braise. Warm it before adding it so it blends into the warm sauce, then pour it in while stirring. The milk goes into the tomato mixture before the ribs return to the pot. For the polenta, you’ll use chicken broth or water instead.
A bundle of fresh herbs
Sage, rosemary, and thyme go into the braise tied together with kitchen twine. Have the bundle ready before the ribs go back into the Dutch oven so you can nestle it into the liquid before covering the pot. The bay leaves are separate and go in earlier with the salt and pepper.
Cornmeal, tahini and white miso
Choose medium- or coarse-ground cornmeal for the polenta. It cooks in chicken broth or water, then gets its tahini and white miso finish as it thickens. The tahini brings sesame flavor to the cornmeal, while the miso adds a savory note alongside the garlic.
The butter is divided between the beginning and end of cooking. One tablespoon is used with the garlic; the other is stirred in once the polenta is thickened and cooked through. Keep that second tablespoon aside when you start, rather than adding all the butter to the pot at once.
The two textures to look for
Short ribs that are tender and falling off the bone
The Dutch oven gets two layers of covering: a round of parchment resting lightly on the liquid and short ribs, followed by the lid. Cut the parchment to fit inside the pot before you begin cooking so it’s ready when the sauce and beef come together.
Once the ribs are in the oven, plan to baste them with the juices at the 1-hour and 2-hour marks. Most of the braising happens in the oven, but these are still part of the method. Setting a reminder for each checkpoint makes them easier to keep track of during a long cook.
Use the 2½–3-hour braising range together with just looking at the texture when checking the ribs. You’re looking for tender meat falling off the bone, not just the browned exterior you created on the stovetop. Once they’re done, leave them in the Dutch oven with the lid mostly on while you make the polenta.
Polenta that’s thickened and cooked through
Give the cornmeal your attention as it first goes into the liquid. Add it slowly while whisking constantly to help avoid clumps, rather than tipping the whole cup into the pot at once. Once it’s incorporated, lower the heat to a low simmer and stir frequently as it cooks.
The tahini and miso go in after. Look for polenta that has thickened and is cooked through before taking it off the heat and stirring in the remaining butter and seasonings.
If the polenta becomes too thick, add more broth or water until it reaches the consistency you want. Keep a little of your chosen liquid handy in case you need to add it in. The polenta should be ready to serve as soon as you finish it, with the short ribs on top.
What to serve alongside
With the polenta already included, a crisp salad is a good addition to the table. Try maroulosalata, a romaine salad with green onion and dill. The fresh crunch gives you something different alongside the tender beef and creamy cornmeal without adding another cooked side to manage.
When the polenta is ready, spoon it onto plates and add the short ribs on top, along with some of the sauce from the Dutch oven. Finish with fresh parsley or thyme. Have the salad ready to go before you finish the polenta so you can serve everything together.
A couple of questions before you cook
Use a dry red wine, such as Merlot or Chianti. You’ll need 1 cup for the braise, which you add after cooking the onion, garlic, and seasonings.
Yes, you can leave the tahini out of the polenta. Keep the white miso and the remaining polenta ingredients as listed, and use broth or water if you need to adjust the consistency at the end.
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Ingredients
For the short ribs
- 7-8 beef short ribs, bone-in, about 4 pounds
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup dry red wine, like Merlot or Chianti
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 3-4 large Del Fresco Pure tomatoes, chopped (about 4 cups chopped)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, warmed so it blends nicely in the warm sauce
Bunch of fresh herbs – tied together with kitchen twine
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
For the polenta
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 cup cornmeal, medium or coarse ground
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- ½ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- Garnish with fresh parsley or fresh thyme
Instructions
Start CookingFor the short ribs
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle that fits the circumference of inside the dutch oven and set aside.
- Season the short ribs all over with kosher salt and ground pepper – be generous!
- To a dutch oven add the olive oil and heat over medium heat until the oil is hot.
- When the oil is hot, sear the short ribs on all sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
- Remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside on a plate. Use a paper towel to remove excess fat from the dutch oven, leaving about 2 tablespoons total.
- Keep the dutch oven on medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
- Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Next, add salt, pepper and bay leaves and stir to combine.
- Deglaze with the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and let cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, sugar and balsamic glaze and stir until fully combined.
- Then, add the chopped tomatoes and stir to combine with everything else in the dutch oven.
- Finally, pour in the warmed milk, stirring as you pour to fully combine with everything else in the dutch oven.
- Add the seared beef short ribs and any juices back to the dutch oven. Nestle the bunch of fresh herbs into the liquid, place the round piece of parchment paper lightly on top of the liquid / short ribs, and then place a lid on the dutch oven.
- Roast in the oven for 2 1/2 – 3 hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Baste the short ribs with the juices in the pot at the 1 hour and 2 hour mark.
- When the short ribs are done, let sit with the lid mostly on the dutch oven while you make the polenta.
For the polenta
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to a large pot over medium heat, once melted, turn to medium-low, add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth or water and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- Once simmering, slowly add the cornmeal while whisking constantly to help avoid clumps and then turn the heat down to medium-low to keep at a low simmer. Stir frequently as the polenta cooks to avoid clumps and sticking to the bottom.
- After about 10 minutes, add the tahini and miso and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta has thickened, about 5-7 more minutes.
- Once the polenta is thickened and cooked through, remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter, salt and ground pepper until fully incorporated.
- If polenta becomes too thick, add more broth or water until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately with the short ribs on top.
Notes
- If you don’t have tahini handy for the polenta, you can omit it.
- If you love this recipe, try our Braised Short Rib Recipe with Fennel, Orange and Miso
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