Beef Short Ribs with Polenta

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-8 Hungry Ducks)
RIBS
16 whole Beef Short Ribs
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
½ cup All-purpose Flour
12 pieces Pancetta, Diced
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
6 whole Carrots, Diced
4 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
4 cups Red Wine
4 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
4 sprigs Thyme
4 Spring Rosemary

POLENTA
2 cups Polenta
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup Goat Cheese
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

RIBS  (4 hours 10 minutes)
Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.
Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.
Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.
Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid.
Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

POLENTA
First, bring 9 cups of water to a boil.
Pour 2 cups polenta into the boiling water in a thin stream, whisking as you pour. This will prevent big clumps from forming.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle in about a teaspoon of salt as you cook.
Add a couple of teaspoons of water here and there as needed if the polenta seems too thick.
At the end of the cooking time, stir in 4 tablespoons butter
Add 1 cup of goat cheese
Stir until the cheese is totally melted and there are no lumps.
Put a generous amount of polenta on a dinner plate, and swirl to create a nice bed for the ribs.

Beef Short Ribs

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