Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with Soft Polenta

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Combine Water (16 cups), Brown Sugar (2 cups), Kosher Salt (2 cups), Bay Leaves (2), and Juniper Berries (10) in a heavy gauge pot, bring to a boil, and cool. Submerge the Beef Short Ribs (4) in the brine for 1-2 hours. Remove from the brine and pat dry.

Heat the Grapeseed Oil (1/4 cup) in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides until well browned. Transfer browned ribs to a braising pan or deep roasting pan. Remove half of the oil from the sauté pan, add the Carrot (1), Celery (3 ribs), Yellow Onions (2), and Garlic (1 bulb) and caramelize the vegetables over medium-high heat stirring frequently. Add half of the Crushed Tomatoes (1/4 cup) and the Red Wine (8 fl oz) and reduce while scraping all of the bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine until almost fully absorbed by the vegetables, or almost dry.

Add the Beef Stock (16 fl oz), and Sherry Vinegar (4 fl oz) and bring to a simmer. Pour this vegetable/wine/stock mixture over the ribs, cover tightly, and place in the oven for approx. 4 hours or until tender. Gently remove the ribs from pan with a large spatula to keep them whole. Reserve warm on a platter.

Bring Low-Sodium Chicken Broth (3 cups) and Heavy Cream (2 cups) to a boil in a medium pot. Add Grey Sea Salt (to taste), Ground Black Pepper (to taste), and Ground Nutmeg (1 pinch). Whisk in the Polenta (1 cup) and continue stirring over moderate heat until the polenta begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes. Stir in the Butter (3 Tbsp), then the Parmesan Cheese (1/4 cup) and Fontina Cheese (1/4 cup).

Strain braising liquid into a medium saucepan and skim off any fat. Add the remaining Crushed Tomatoes (1/4 cup) and reduce over medium-high heat until desired sauce consistency. Stir in Fresh Oregano (1 Tbsp) and spoon all of the sauce over the ribs to glaze nicely. Serve immediately with soft polenta or your choice of side dish.