Braised beef short ribs with creamy parmesan polenta

Oil each short rib lightly and season liberally with salt, a strong three finger pinch per piece.

Let the salted beef sit on the counter 20 minutes.

Oven sear on a sheet tray in a preheated 500F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until browned and the outside fat is fully rendered.

Medium dice 1,000 g of yellow sweet onions and press 20 to 25 g of garlic.

In a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat, add olive oil, then the onions, garlic and a very strong pinch of salt, and stir.

Stir every two minutes or so over medium heat for about 20 minutes to lightly caramelize.

Deglaze the caramelized bits with a couple tablespoons of water and scrape with a wooden spoon; repeat the brown and deglaze three or four more times over the next 20 minutes until the onions are about six out of ten caramelized.

Deglaze the last of it with 50 g Worcestershire and cook it down about 30 seconds.

Add 50 g tomato paste and stir fry with the onions about a minute, then add the demi-glace.

Add the stout, then 1,100 g beef stock and 28 g powdered gelatin.

Add a few sprigs of thyme and a few bay leaves, bring to a simmer and nestle in the oven-seared short ribs.

Lid on but slightly ajar to allow evaporation, then braise in a preheated 275F oven for three to three and a half hours.

Pull at about three hours and 15 minutes; the beef should pull apart easily without falling apart. Cool 90 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

Lift off the coagulated fat with a spoon, then bring the pot to a low simmer over medium heat to melt the gelatin.

Move the twelve short ribs to a plate, then over medium high heat skim the remaining fat by swirling the liquid at the bottom of a ladle to push the fat to the rim.

Reduce the sauce by about 75%, 20 to 30 minutes, until the bubbles are about half an inch wide.

In a deep non-stick pan over medium high heat, toast 300 g of polenta, stirring often, about three minutes until it smells like popcorn.

Add 1,200 g whole milk and 7 g salt and stir with a non-metal whisk to hydrate the polenta evenly.

After three to four minutes the milk simmers and the polenta thickens; stir to keep it off the bottom, then drop to low and cook, stirring every two to three minutes, about 10 minutes more.

Off the heat, stir in 115 g butter to melt, then 100 g grated parmesan over low heat, keeping the heat down so the cheese does not overcook and turn the polenta greasy.

Return the short ribs to the reduced sauce, submerged, and hold over low heat five minutes, basting with the cooking liquid.

Serve two pieces of short rib on the polenta and spoon over the caramelized onion stout jus.