Creamy, cheesy cheddar polenta topped with Instant Pot short rib ragu is comfort on a plate on a busy Fall school night.
I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cabot Cheese and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
We survived the first day of school – all virtual in our town. I must say our teachers have really gotten better at this virtual teaching thing since the Spring. And, happily, I did not have to teach while juggling my day job. Now that we are back into school and sports, dinners have to be easy. I try to prep as much as possible on the weekends so that I can get dinner on the table quickly when the girls get home from soccer.
This short rib ragu doesn’t take a lot of effort thanks to the Instant Pot. A dish that would normally have to simmer away for hours can be cooked in an hour. I learned long ago that short ribs taste way better if they sit overnight, so make this on Sunday and have dinner ready for during the week.
Now let’s talk about the polenta. I make polenta fairly often: with short ribs, lamb shanks, pork ragu. But I usually make it with Parmesan. So when Cabot cheese sent me some samples for a contest, I decided to change it up and use some of their delicious Vermont sharp cheddar instead. Free samples or not, Cabot is among our favorite cheeses. I regularly buy it at the supermarket and we always get some when we go skiing in Vermont every winter. Cabot is a cooperative owned by 800 farm families throughout New England & New York and all profits go back to the farmers – so it’s cheese I feel good about buying. Stir some into polenta and it’s pure decadence. My 8 year-old ooohed and ahhhed with every bite.
Love cooking with the Instant Pot? Me too! Try these for more quick dinners:
- 3-4 pounds bone-in short ribs
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil, plus 1 more Tbsp. if browning short ribs in a pan
- 2 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 small sprig rosemary
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 3 cups red wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup cream or milk
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 oz. Cabot Vermont sharp cheddar, shredded
- 2 Tbsp. chives, plus more for garnish
- Season the short ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or in the Instant pot set to saute. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, transferring to a plate when done. If you used the Instant Pot, pour off all but 1 Tbsp. of the fat.
- (At this point, if you browned the short ribs in a pan, set the Instant Pot to saute. Add remaining one tablespoon of oil.)
- Add the onions, carrots and garlic and saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary, and tomato paste and stir. Stir in the flour until combined then pour in the wine. Bring to a boil then nestle the short ribs in the pot. Pour the stock over. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure for 1 hour.
- After one hour, allow Instant Pot to release naturally for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, manually release the steam. Transfer the short ribs to a plate. Strain the liquid into a large bowl and then pour it back into the Instant Pot. Turn Instant Pot to saute on high heat and let the sauce cook down for 20-30 minutes until thickened.
- While the sauce reduces and once the short ribs are cool enough to handle, shred the meat, leaving some chunks. Discard the fat and bones. Stir the meat into the sauce. At this point the short ribs and sauce can be refrigerated for a few days. Just reheat on the stove when ready to serve.
- To make the cheddar polenta, whisk together the chicken stock, milk and polenta in a medium pan. Heat over medium heat, whisking every couple of minutes, until it starts to bubble and thicken. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Once it thickens, stir in the butter. Then stir in the Cabot cheddar cheese and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Scoop the polenta into 4 serving plates and top with a scoop of the short rib ragu. Sprinkle with chopped chives, if desired.
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