Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine, Mushrooms, and Creamy Polenta

Pat the 4 beef short ribs completely dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides with 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt and 0.75 teaspoon black pepper.

Place 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each short rib in the flour, coating all sides, and shake off excess.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.

Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear the short ribs for 4-5 minutes per side until deeply browned and caramelized. Transfer to a plate. This develops fond on the pan bottom, which will flavor the braising liquid.

While ribs sear, prepare vegetables: Clean 12 ounces cremini mushrooms with a damp cloth and quarter them. Peel and dice 1 medium yellow onion into 0.5-inch pieces. Peel and mince 4 garlic cloves.

In the same pot with rendered fat and fond, add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly.

Stir in 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, to caramelize slightly and deepen flavor.

Pour in 1.5 cups red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release all the browned fond. Let wine reduce for 3 minutes.

Add 1.5 cups beef broth, the quartered mushrooms, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Stir to combine.

Return the seared short ribs to the pot, nestling them among the mushrooms. The braising liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the ribs.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and braise for 2 hours and 15 minutes, turning the ribs halfway through (at 1 hour 10 minutes) to ensure even cooking.

While the ribs braise, prepare the polenta: Pour 4 cups whole milk into a separate saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

Slowly whisk in 1 cup polenta in a thin stream while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. This should take about 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and continue cooking the polenta for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently (every 3-4 minutes) to prevent sticking and burning on the bottom. The polenta is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a spoon stands upright in it.

Stir 4 tablespoons unsalted butter into the polenta until melted and fully incorporated.

Stir in 0.5 cup grated parmesan cheese until completely melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Check the short ribs: they should be fork-tender and the meat should pull easily from the bone. The braising liquid should have reduced to about 2 cups and coated the ribs with a glossy sauce.

Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the braising liquid. If the sauce is too thin, increase heat to medium-high and simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes to concentrate. If too thick, add 0.25 cup beef broth.

Taste the braising sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.

To serve: Divide the creamy polenta among 4 bowls, creating a well in the center. Top each with 1 short rib and divide the mushrooms and braising sauce evenly among the servings.