COUNTERACT ANY LINGERING WINTER BLUES WITH THIS JUICY, RED WINE-SOAKED SHORT RIB RECIPE THAT WILL WARM YOUR BONES

BY CHEF DAVID BURKE

Short ribs are typically not on a steakhouse menu and they’re not on every restaurant menu, either but I’m a big fan. We use either beef or local bison from Fossil Farms. Short ribs make a hearty, satisfying comfort dish perfect for the chilly winter season in the Northeast. Short ribs are versatile and delicious with just the right fat content and make great presentations.

You will find a version of a short rib dish at most of my restaurants. My most recent interpretation is on the menu at Red Horse at Bernards Inn: Braised Bison Short Ribs “Cowboy Style” with coffee-cumin BBQ rub, pepper jack polenta, and a BBQ glaze served with crispy rings of delicata squash.

From an execution standpoint they are great for our kitchens, too. They are braised and slowly cooked ahead of time, then heated and served to order. I can pair them with anything seasonal, like vegetables, polenta, and pasta. They are 100% usable. For brunch I use the trimmings to make short ribs hash served with a poached egg on top. At 1776 you will find Bison Short Ribs Panini; on the Sunday brunch at Orchard Park it’s Short Rib Monte Cristo; at Red Horse in Rumson it’s a Short Rib Tartine on the happy hour menu. I think you get the picture they are uber versatile.

Short ribs found their way onto my menus through a happy coincidence. During my early days of restaurant ownership at David Burke Townhouse and David Burke & Donnatella, we had two very popular specials on the menu: the short ribs and a pasta dish with cavatelli. When we were changing the menu, we put them together to create a powerhouse dish: Short Ribs with Wild Mushroom Pasta and Truffle Mousse. It was a hit, and I’ve been experimenting with short ribs ever since. Try my recipe above or stop in one of my restaurants to try one of my dishes.

DRIFTHOUSE by David Burke

1485 Ocean Avenue, Sea Bright 732.530.9760 / drifthousedb.com chefdavidburke.com