Ingredients

1. 8 meaty beef short ribs (6 pounds)
2. Kosher salt
3. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
4. 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
5. 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and coarsely chopped
6. 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and smashed
7. 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
8. 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
9. 1 cup dry sherry
10. 1 cup tomato puree
11. 4 dried bay leaves
12. 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
13. Freshly ground pepper
14. Potato-Apple "Risotto", for serving

Directions

1. Generously season the short ribs with salt, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. Bring the ribs to room temperature before cooking.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add 4 of the short ribs and cook over moderately high heat until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan. Repeat with the remaining short ribs.
3. Add the onions, apples, garlic, carrot and celery to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Scrape the vegetables into the roasting pan. Add the sherry to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato puree, bay leaves and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture over the short ribs. Cover the roasting pan with foil and bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the meat is very tender.
4. Transfer the short ribs to a platter and cover with foil. Strain the cooking liquid through a coarse sieve set over a large saucepan, pressing on the solids and pushing the vegetables through as much as possible. Skim off the fat with a ladle. Boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set 2 short ribs on each plate and coat with sauce. Serve the Potato-Apple "Risotto" alongside.

Make Ahead

The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Discard the fat on the surface and reheat, covered, in a 350° oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes.