The Polenta That Took Me Back to Argentina: Balsamic Honey Short Ribs Recipe
Twenty years ago I was serving a mission in Córdoba, Argentina, and one of my favorite things about that place was siesta.
Around midday everything shut down, kids came home from school, parents came home from work, and families sat down for the biggest meal of the day.
One afternoon a single mom invited us to lunch in her tiny apartment. She had five kids, ages 8 to 17, and there weren’t even enough chairs, so a few of them knelt up to the round table while we waited and listened to them sing and laugh. Then she carried out the biggest pot I’d ever seen, full of creamy polenta, set it right in the middle of the table and poured her meat sauce all over it.
I’d never had polenta before that day. I can still smell that sauce. When lunch was over, she was so happy there was enough left to send some home with us. I knew she didn’t have much, but I don’t think I really understood what that meal cost her until I was much older. She never once made it feel like a sacrifice. She made generosity look like joy, and I’ve thought about her so many times since.
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This isn’t her recipe. I honestly don’t remember what was in that sauce, and I don’t want to turn a twenty-year-old memory into something it wasn’t. But polenta will always take me back to that little table, so today I’m making my own version: balsamic honey short ribs over creamy polenta. You just have to give it time. Start it earlier in the day, leave it alone, and let your whole house smell incredible.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Season the ribs: Pat the short ribs completely dry. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Sear the ribs: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs for 2–3 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Work in batches if needed so the pan isn’t crowded. Remove the ribs and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the onion and carrots to the same pot and cook for 5–7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, until it darkens slightly and begins to caramelize.
- Deglaze: Pour in the red wine and scrape up everything from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the wine has reduced slightly.
- Make the braising sauce: Add the bone broth, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Stir until combined. Add the rosemary and thyme.
- Braise: Return the short ribs to the pot. The liquid should reach about halfway to two-thirds of the way up the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3–3½ hours, until the meat is extremely tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
- Make the sauce: Remove the short ribs and discard the rosemary and thyme stems. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid. Use an immersion blender to blend the onions and carrots directly into the braising liquid until smooth. Simmer uncovered on the stovetop for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce is rich and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste before adding anything else. Add more salt, pepper, balsamic, honey, or soy sauce if needed.
- Make the Parmesan polenta: Bring the bone broth to a gentle boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, then reduce the heat to low. Cook according to package directions, stirring frequently, until thick and creamy. Stir in the butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper. Add a splash of bone broth or cream if the polenta gets too thick.
- Serve: Spoon the creamy Parmesan polenta into shallow bowls. Place the short ribs over the polenta and generously spoon the balsamic-honey braising sauce over everything. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh thyme or rosemary.
