Braised Short Ribs, Two Ways

In the pantheon of big flavors, there’s a subtle distinction between “rich” and “rustic.” Both connote food that is deeply satiating, but whereas rich dishes are more elaborate and over-the-top, rustic dishes—which I tend to prefer—get their depth from being soulful and immensely crave-able. They are the kind of dishes that, when you taste them, you immediately think, “I need to have more.” Short ribs also have a special place in my heart and my repertoire because a braised short ribs appetizer was the first dish that Ruth Reichl called out in her review of Chianti in 1994, the review that put me on the map and convinced me that my cooking was really speaking to people.