Braised Short Ribs with Mushroom Risotto

Heat a 5 quart cast iron rondeau over medium heat with a bit of olive oil. Coat four beef short rib squares with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary rubbed in with a bit of oil. Brown the ribs on all sides.

Add a sliced small onion, one carrot, and one stalk of celery to the pot around the ribs, then fill with about 2 cups of water and then red wine until the ribs are exposed only about a half inch above the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the ribs are falling apart. Then, turn the heat to very low, remove the lid, and start on the risotto.

For the risotto, heat a skillet to medium high, then add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add one minced shallot and cook for a couple of minutes or until the shallot is clear but not browning just yet. Add about 10 sliced mushrooms (baby portabella, crimini, porcini, all will work well, or you could use the dried assortment from Costco) and cook for another 3 minutes. Add a bit more oil if needed, then add 1 1/4 cups arborio rice and cook for a few minutes, or until the rice is translucent. Now, take a ladle and scoop one ladleful of the braising liquid, being careful not to get the aromatics or other debris into the ladle, and put the liquid into the skillet. Stir until the liquid is absorbed, then continue to ladle in more liquid until the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes total of cooking will be required. At the very end, add a bit more of the wine to the risotto.

Ladle a good scoop of the mushroom risotto onto the plate, then slice the meat from the ribs and arrange it on top of the risotto. Serve with the remaining wine.

This isn't exactly a high-brow dish, so it doesn't make sense to go overboard with the wine. We used our go-to Merlot (Bogle) and it worked just fantastic. If I wanted to go a notch higher, I might use a less-expensive Barolo.