For a cozy weekend meal, try The Roast with the Most. From “Simply Delishaas: Favorite Recipes from my Midwestern Kitchen,” by Hayden Haas. (Tessa Hiney)

Roast with the Most

Serves 6 to 8.

From “Simply Delishaas: Favorite Recipes From My Midwestern Kitchen,” by Hayden Haas, who writes: “For my birthday, my brother (who is also a professional cook) made this delicious roast, and it was so melt-in-your-mouth tender that I’d feel like a clod if I didn’t share the recipe with you. This recipe has all the things you love about a ‘traditional’ roast but with double the flavor. I always say that food tastes better when someone else is making it. It was true for this birthday roast, but I’ll let you be the final judge!” (DK, 2024)

About 3 lb. bone-in short ribs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. salt
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, roughly chopped
6 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 leek, washed and roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
¾ c. tomato paste
2 heads of garlic
3 dried or fresh bay leaves
½ bunch fresh rosemary
½ bunch fresh thyme
2 c. red or white wine
1 tbsp. whole black peppercorns
2 Anaheim or guajillo chiles
4 c. beef broth
Chopped green onion, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season the short ribs on all sides with salt.

In a large oven-safe pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the short ribs, and sear on all sides until they develop a nice crust on the outside, about 9 to 10 minutes. When all sides are browned, transfer to a platter and set aside.

Add the yellow onion, celery, leek, shallot and tomato paste to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the tomato paste darkens.

Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, red wine, peppercorns, chile peppers and beef broth to the pan, and stir.

Return the ribs back to the pan. (They’ll cook down in the sauce.) Cover and roast in the oven for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Check halfway through the cook time to see if you need to add more wine or broth. When the ribs are done, the meat should perfectly slide off the bone.

Remove from the oven, and remove and discard the bay leaves. Garnish with chopped green onions, and serve.

Tip: Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking so it cooks evenly all the way through (kind of like a giant fancy steak). Serve with mashed potatoes or the starchy situation of your choice. And try making this recipe with bison or venison!