Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs with Coconut Milk Polenta

• Season ribs generously with salt and five-spice on all sides. Let sit overnight in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add enough olive oil to coat bottom. Sear short ribs in batches and on all sides. Remove beef and leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in pot.
• Add onions, carrot, celery, ginger, and lemongrass to pot. Sweat until tender, add molasses, rice wine vinegar, and red wine. Reduce over medium high heat until just about dry. Add chicken stock, thyme, and rosemary, then add beef back to pot and bring to light simmer.
• Cover and place in oven until tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove pot from oven, uncover. Allow ribs to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. After resting, remove short ribs from braising liquid. Strain liquid into another wide bottom pot and bring to boil. Reduce by about half being careful not to over-reduce because of saltiness of the soy sauce.
• Return short ribs to sauce.

• In a medium sauce pot bring coconut and vegetable stock to a boil whisk in polenta and add a pinch of salt.
• Return to a simmer and cover, reduce heat to lowest possible setting and stir vigorously every five minutes scrapping bottom. If you have a heat diffuser this is a good time to use it. Keep an eye on polenta so it does not burn stirring as often as needed. Cook for at least 25 minutes to 30 minutes preferably.

On a warm plate, spread a generous amount of Coconut Milk Polenta. Place the Pan Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs on top. Serve immediately with a glass of Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.