Grammy's Recipe Book Mains

Short Ribs over Egg Noodles

350°F oven

Prep
30 min
Cook
3 hr 20 min
Total
3 hr 50 minstart to eating

Times are our estimates for Grammy's recipe, with unhurried prep.

Grammy's handwritten page for Short Ribs over Egg Noodles
Page 50 · full size

As written

Word for word from her page, with her spelling and line breaks. [?] marks a word we couldn't read.

6-8[?] short ribs / egg noodles
oven 350°

S+P brown

Leeks carrots + onions soften 10 min.
Garlic rosemary & thyme - fresh
1/2 bottle red wine
Add bone side up
barely cover with stock

Cover cook 3 hours

Grammy's recipe

Her recipe, typed out to cook from: her amounts and her words, with abbreviations spelled out and the steps numbered.

Ingredients

  • 6–8 short ribs
  • Salt and pepper
  • Leeks, carrots and onions
  • Garlic
  • Fresh rosemary and thyme
  • ½ bottle red wine
  • Stock, to barely cover
  • Egg noodles, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 350°.
  2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and brown them.
  3. Soften the leeks, carrots and onions, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme.
  4. Add half a bottle of red wine.
  5. Add the ribs bone side up and barely cover with stock.
  6. Cover and cook 3 hours in the oven. Serve over egg noodles.

Modernized

A present-day cookbook version, with missing steps filled in. These are suggestions, not her words.

Ingredients

  • 6–8 bone-in beef short ribs (about 5 pounds)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced and washed
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 sprigs each fresh rosemary and thyme
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ bottle (about 1½ cups) dry red wine
  • 2–3 cups beef stock
  • 1 pound egg noodles, buttered, and chopped parsley, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Season the ribs well with salt and pepper, ideally the day before.
  2. Brown the ribs in the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, in batches, on all sides. Set aside and pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat.
  3. Soften the leeks, carrots and onion, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs and tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer 5 minutes.
  5. Add the ribs bone side up and barely cover with stock.
  6. Cover and braise 3 hours, until very tender.
  7. Skim the fat off the sauce, and simmer to thicken if it’s thin. Serve over the noodles with the sauce and parsley.

Ideas to play with

Twists and variations to try. Suggestions, not hers.

  • Make it a day ahead

    Chill overnight, lift off the solid fat, and reheat. The sauce is even better.

  • Polenta or mashed potatoes

    Serve over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes instead of noodles.

  • Slow cooker

    After browning and deglazing, cook on low 8 hours.

  • Gremolata

    Top with lemon zest, parsley and garlic to brighten the rich sauce.