Reheating time: 10-15 minutes
I think the phrase “don’t reinvent the wheel” is absolutely garbage. Like come on. What if nobody ever reinvented the wheel. How would your car drive, if the tires were made out of stone or whatever? Maybe it should be “don’t change the shape of the wheel- it definitely should be a circle”. That is at least a statement that I think most people would agree upon. Don’t reinvent the braised shortrib, however, is something I am in wholehearted agreement with. With our menus changing and evolving every week, we have a pretty solid mix of creativity and classics. Tonight is a classic. Straight up braised shortribs, a delicious jus, creamy polenta, and broccoli rabe. Simple, and beautiful. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback regarding the reheating instructions lately, and it seems that y’all have been getting pretty frustrated with my nonchalant, narrative style of me walking you through heating up your dinner. I understand. I am more of a rule breaker, less of a rule maker- but I can definitely tighten up if you want. Just don’t blame me if you burn something after leaving it in the oven too long, even if “it said to do that on the instructions!!!”. Here goes some really boring reheating instructions!
For the shortrib:
The shortribs take a long time to heat up- however, you can cut them into smaller, thinner pieces if you are in a hurry. Warm the jus in a saucepot. Add some water (recommended: half the volume of the jus- so fill the jus container up halfway with water, and add to the pot). Bring to a simmer. Add the shortrib pieces and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes over medium low heat, flipping the pieces halfway. Add water if the level of jus gets too low- don’t want to reduce it all the way down. Once the time has elapsed, poke the shortribs. They should be tender and hot. If not, more time. If so, remove them from the pot, and reduce the liquid over medium heat to form a viscous sauce. Add butter. It helps.
For the polenta:
For every portion of polenta you ordered, bring 1 ½ T h2o and 1 T butter to a simmer in a small saucepot. Once simmering, add the polenta. Break it up with the back of a spoon, and stir until it’s nice and smooth. Add more water or milk if necessary to thin it out. Over medium low heat, stir until the polenta is hot and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes. Once it’s hot, taste and season to account for the dilution. Will probably need some salt and pepper. Plate up in a shallow bowl, in an even layer, with a divot in the middle for the short rib to rest in, and the jus tpo accumulate.
For the broccolini:
Set your oven to high broil. On a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil, arrange the pieces of broccolini in an even layer. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes, flip, and broil for another 2-3 minutes, until hot and charred. Remove tray from the oven.
To plate:
As we discussed, create a drop zone for the shortrib when you plate the polenta. A bowl inside a bowl, but the second bowl is actually polenta. Place the shortrib in the middle, and cover it with jus. Plate up the broccoli rabe on the side. *chef’s kiss* you did it. And we didn’t even have to joke around in the instructions.
