St. Patrick’s Day Glazed Beef Short Rib Recipe

It’s certainly a very different S. Patrick’s Day this year, with the growth of COVID-19 throughout the world. We here at The Q Cafe Company feel that cooking can be a great outlet to take your mind off things and have a little fun with the kids. This Glazed Beef Short Rib recipe by Head Chef John Poole in Wexford is perfect for beginners and experts alike. It’s a slow cooker, which means you cook the stew over a low heat for a number of hours. This builds great flavour.

What Cut of Beef Can I Use If There’s No Short Rib?

In this recipe we use beef short rib, but honestly you can use any ‘slow cook’ cut of beef. This can include, beef cheek, braising steak of any kind, beef shin etc. Just ask at the butchers counter for any cut used for stews or slow cooking. The more grizzly the meat the longer it will take to cook. However, this often means the tastier it will be. Why not ask the butcher for a beef bone too? This should be free and will add great flavour. In addition, the entire dish is based on the premise of beef off cuts, therefore making it cheaper and hopefully more sustainable than a prime cut of beef.

Ingredients

• 6 thick-cut meaty beef short ribs
  • Or remember any slow cook beef cut equivalent such as cheek, oxtail, shin, braising steak etc.
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 stick celery, sliced 
• thyme 1 sprig
• rosemary 1 sprig 
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 tbsp tomato puree  
• 1 large head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
• 500ml red wine
• 1 litre beef stock (or tomato passatta/tinned tomato if you can’t get this)

Method

Build The Stew

1. Seal and colour beef in pan until golden brown. 
2. Remove from pan and place on a plate.
3. To the same pan, add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Sweat off by adding a lid and reducing the heat. Stir regularly.
4. After a few minutes add the red wine, tomato puree, beef stock and herbs. You can add more liquid if need be – remember it’s going to reduce down anyway.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat slightly and reduce the liquid by 1/3.
6. Add the beef and braise on a low heat for 3.5 to 4 hours, or until meat is tender and soft. Stir every now and then.
7. If you’re using small cuts of braising steak, they may cook quicker. If you want a more intensely flavoured stew, feel free to remove them and allow the sauce to reduce on its own for a period of time. Add back in when you’re happy.

Finish

1. For a restaurant finish after the 3.5-4 hours (or when the beef is soft and tender)
   • Remove the beef from the stewing sauce and place on a plate.
   • Strain the stewing sauce through a fine sieve into another pot or pan.
   • Over a low heat, reduce this sauce slowly, until the sauce thickens and you get a nice shine glaze. This can last up to 45 minutes. 
   • Add the beef into this and toss until it’s totally covered and sticky. 
   • For rustic finish you can skip this step!
2. Serve with buttery mash and some buttered greens.

We hope you enjoy a lovely St. Patrick’s Day. It is our wish that our recipes provide you with some reprive during this time, whilst we all work together to flatten the curve of growth of COVID-19.