Braising 101: Here's a step-by-step recipe to help you take short ribs and turn them into a rich dinner requiring almost no work

Short ribs -- with their hunks of rich meat on the bone, looking primal and carnivore-ready -- are a rich, easy meal and forgiving to cook under their sleek caps of fat, melting into tender chunks of pull-apart beef in the oven.

Here's a step-by-step recipe to help you take short ribs and turn them into a dinner with almost no work.

Buying Short Ribs

In the past, short ribs have been a favorite meal of mine for another reason, besides their incredibly rich taste: They are inexpensive. Well, that may have changed a bit in the last few years. This formerly cheap cut, found with the stew beef and other tough braising meats, has become so trendy and spotlighted that prices (at least in my grocery stores) have risen accordingly. Have you noticed this, too?

But they're still a deal compared to other cuts, and perhaps your butcher isn't as sensitive to trends. The tradeoff in this price hike is that it's easier to find them. A few years ago, I would always have to ask at the butcher counter for short ribs; these days I often find them in the meat case.

I usually buy short ribs with the bone still attached, which is cheaper. The more expensive boneless cuts are convenient, though, and easier for serving, but I think the bone adds flavor in cooking, too. Sometimes the short ribs will be chopped into short chunks, with one or two bones apiece. Other times you may find longer strips, like I have here. It really doesn't matter either way since the meat is going to fall off the bone after it is cooked, and the meat becomes so tender that it's easy to separate into individual servings.

The Method: Oven, Stovetop or Slow Cooker

This method is very straightforward -- it's the way that I nearly always cook short ribs. Season and brown the ribs, then add some onion and aromatics plus liquid to the pot and cook low and slow. It's Braising 101.

For the low and slow step, I prefer the oven as it is more forgiving (no checking to make sure the bottom doesn't scorch), and I think it cooks more evenly.

However, you can also do these in the slow cooker or on the stovetop --- just refer to the instructions at the end of the recipe below.

To Chill or Not to Chill?

Short ribs usually come with quite a bit of fat, and while you can trim some of this off before cooking I prefer not to, since it insulates the meat and keeps it moist and tender while cooking.

But all that fat, melted off during cooking, can give a pronounced greasy feel to the meat. So I prefer to chill short ribs overnight and remove the chilled fat before reheating and serving. They reheat easily on the stove or in the oven and usually taste even better with this overnight rest.

This step is also why I think short ribs are such a convenient dinner party dish! You can do all the work the day before then just reheat and serve.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Serves 4

• 3 pounds short ribs, bone-in

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 cups liquid, such as beer, wine, or broth

• 2 to 4 sprigs fresh herbs, such as rosemary or thyme

Equipment:

• Pastry or basting brush

• Deep Dutch oven OR deep saute pan with a lid

• Tongs

1. Heat the oven to 325 F. Brush each short rib with vegetable oil, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a deep, wide Dutch oven or saute pan over medium high heat. Add the short ribs in one layer, leaving room between each (work in batches if necessary). Now would be a good moment to turn on your hood vent or fan, if you have one! Sear the short ribs without moving for several minutes on each side, letting them brown deeply. Use tongs to turn and sear all sides. This will take about 15 minutes total.

3. Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion and garlic around the browned short ribs. Let the onions sweat for about 5 minutes or until they soften.

4. Add the liquid -- beer, wine or broth -- and bring to a simmer.

5. After the liquid comes to a simmer, add the herb sprigs then cover the pan tightly. Put the covered pan in the oven. (Alternately, this is the point where you can transfer to the slow cooker for 8 hours on LOW, or continue cooking on very low heat on the stovetop.) Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and coming away from the bone.

6. When the meat is done, rest in a covered pan for 20 minutes before serving. Serve by gently tugging the chunks of meat away from the bone and spooning the saucy onions over top.

7. OPTIONAL STEP -- Refrigerate overnight.

8. To reheat, cover and warm over low heat on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe Notes

• To cook in the slow cooker, progress through Step 4, then transfer the meat, onions and liquid to a slow cooker insert. Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

• Instead of transferring the pan to the oven, you can also cook the short ribs on the stovetop. Keep the pan covered and cook over low heat for 2 to 3 hours, checking liquid levels intermittently and making sure the bottom isn't scorching.

• You can get creative by using a stronger spice rub, different kinds of beer (I like the slight bitterness an IPA provides), red wine or sherry. You can use soy sauce and mirin with Chinese five-spice; you could go Spanish with smoked paprika and Rioja.

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Faith Durand is managing editor of TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to kitchn@apartmenttherapy.com