Braised Short Ribs over Polenta

Season the ribs on all sides with the salt and pepper at least 1 hour ahead, or overnight uncovered in the refrigerator. Pat them dry, dredge lightly in the flour, and tap off the excess.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers. Brown the ribs on every side, 3 to 4 minutes per side, working in batches of three or four. Do not crowd the pot. Crowded meat releases steam and steamed meat never browns — and browning is where most of the flavor in this dish gets made.

Move the ribs to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until softened and browning at the edges, scraping the fond off the bottom as the vegetables release their moisture.

Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and smells sweet instead of raw. Two minutes of patience here is worth more than an extra cup of stock.

Pour in the entire bottle of wine and scrape the bottom completely clean. Bring to a boil and reduce by about half, 10 to 12 minutes. Cooking the alcohol off is not optional — leave it in and that sharp edge sits in the sauce for the next three hours and never leaves.

Return the ribs and any juices to the pot, add the stock, thyme, and bay leaves. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the ribs, not cover them. A braise is not a boil: the exposed tops keep browning while the submerged meat goes tender.

Bring to a bare simmer on the stove, cover, and move to the oven. Braise 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Start checking at 2 1/2 — a fork should slide in and twist with no resistance, and the meat should pull from the bone without falling apart on its own.

About 45 minutes before the ribs are done, start the polenta. Bring the 6 cups of water or stock to a boil with the salt, then rain the polenta in slowly while whisking constantly. Pour it in all at once and you will be picking lumps out for the rest of the night.

Drop the heat to the lowest setting and cook 35 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, until the grains are fully tender with no grit left on your tongue. Instant polenta is a different food than this one. Give it the time it asks for.

Take the polenta off the heat and beat in the butter, Parmigiano, and milk. It should be loose enough to spread across a plate on its own — add hot liquid a splash at a time until it does.

Move the ribs to a platter and cover. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan and discard the solids, then skim the fat off the top. Better yet, chill the whole pot overnight and lift the fat cap off solid the next day — a braise is genuinely better on day two, and that is worth planning your week around.

Simmer the strained liquid over medium heat until it reduces to a glossy sauce that coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and season.

Spoon the polenta into wide bowls, set the ribs on top, and ladle the sauce over. Finish with parsley or a lemon-and-garlic gremolata if you want something bright cutting through it.