Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Sprinkle sea salt and pepper all over the short ribs, then dredge until coated with chickpea flour. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown short ribs on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Once nicely browned, remove and set aside. (If you need, you can do this step in batches so as not to overcrowd the ribs in the pot.)

Add diced yellow onion, diced carrots, and diced shallots to the same pot and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Pour wine into the pot and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any bits that have stuck. Bring mixture to a boil.

Add low sodium beef broth and stir. Add short ribs back into the pot. They should be almost completely submerged by the liquid. Toss some fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs to the pot. Cover and place into the oven.

Braise short ribs at 350ºF for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325ºF and cook for an additional 30–45 minutes, until ribs are fork-tender and meat is falling off the bone.

Remove pot from the oven and allow to sit, covered, for another 20 minutes, before serving. This will give us time to make the creamy polenta.

To do this, heat unsweetened almond milk or any milk of your choice, water and sea salt in a deep sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to keep the milk from burning on the bottom of the pan.

Once boiling, slowly add coarse cornmeal, stirring or whisking constantly to avoid causing clumps. When cornmeal is all mixed in, lower heat, cover, and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes or so.

Once polenta is smooth, thick, and creamy, remove from the heat and add pepper, garlic powder, and goat cheese, stirring to incorporate. A whisk may be necessary if mixture is too clumpy.

To serve, add the creamy polenta to the bottom of a bowl and then top with a couple braised short ribs, spooning a little juice and fresh thyme leaves over the top.