French Onion Soup With Braised Short Ribs Recipes

BEEF SHORT RIB FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Mix flour, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl. Dredge beef short ribs in the seasoned flour mixture. Reserve 3 tablespoons of leftover seasoned flour.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and pan-fry the beef ribs until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat down to medium and melt butter in the pot; cook and stir sweet onions in the butter until soft and slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Stir constantly and reduce heat if onions begin to burn.
• Stir 3 tablespoons of reserved seasoned flour mixture into the onions and cook and stir for 10 minutes; pour in beef broth and sherry. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until soup is slightly thickened; season with more salt and black pepper, if desired.
• Strip leaves from thyme sprigs and add leaves to the soup. Gently return short ribs to the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer soup until ribs are tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir soup every hour or so.
• Preheat the oven's broiler.
• Ladle soup into oven-safe soup crocks, placing a short rib into each bowl. Top soup with 2 slices of French bread per bowl and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of Gruyere cheese over each crock.
• Place crocks under broiler until cheese is browned and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
• Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

BRAISED SHORT RIB FRENCH DIP

Steps:

• For the caramelized onions: Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring every few minutes with a metal spoon or spatula, until a rich chocolate brown color, 30 to 45 minutes. (Do not stir too often or onions will not properly caramelize; stir often enough to prevent onions from burning.) Deglaze pan with red wine and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
• For the short ribs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat bacon fat in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots and onions and cook until onions are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir constantly until well combined and deep red, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in wine and bring to a boil. Add all herbs and garlic and stir in beef stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let braising liquid simmer while preparing short ribs.
• Trim excess fat from short ribs and cut into four 5- to 6-ounce portions. Sprinkle all sides of the short ribs with salt and pepper. Brush bottom of a large Dutch oven with a little vegetable oil and heat until smoking hot. Add short ribs. Brown all sides and turn off the heat; turn off the heat to the braising liquid as well.
• Carefully ladle all the braising liquid along with the herbs and vegetables over the short ribs. Cover cook in the oven, 4 hours.
• Using metal tongs, carefully remove each short rib from the braising liquid and set aside to cool. Strain braising liquid. Discard vegetables and herbs, reserving liquid. Set aside.
• Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Slice short ribs and remove any excess fat. Heat braising liquid in a medium pot. Add sliced short ribs and caramelized onions and heat approximately 5 minutes. Remove short ribs and caramelized onions and place inside French rolls; arrange on a baking sheet. Top with Gruyere and toast in oven until cheese is well melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with coleslaw and a cup of warm braising liquid for dipping.