Eintopf (Braised Short Ribs With Fennel, Squash and Sweet Potato)

Name: Eintopf (Braised Short Ribs With Fennel, Squash and Sweet Potato)
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: german
Ingredients: 4 pounds meaty, bone-in short ribs, cut into single-bone portions; Salt; 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil; 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped (about 2 1/4 cups), top with fronds separated from bulb and thinly sliced; 6 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise; 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes; 4 cups chicken stock; 1 white sweet potato, such as Japanese sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, or use an orange sweet potato (2 loose cups); 1/2 small butternut squash (about 1 pound 3 ounces), seeds removed, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and grated; 4 cups torn or cut fresh greens, such as kale, mature spinach, mustard greens or dandelion greens; Warm crusty bread, for serving

By Yewande Komolafe

Published Feb. 16, 2022

Eintopf (Braised Short Ribs With Fennel, Squash and Sweet Potato) — Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Maeve Sheridan.

Total Time: 4 hours
Rating: 4(1,051)
Comments: Read comments

There are as many versions of eintopf, a hearty German stew, as there are people who love it. A traditional eintopf may include bratwurst and sauerkraut, but it’s how it is cooked that’s important (eintopf translates to “one pot”). This particular recipe, made with bone-in short ribs, is braised until the meat melts off the bone. Fennel — fresh bulb and dried seeds — stars in the braise, while the fronds are sliced for garnishing. Every bite of this stew bursts with flavor, and, as is the case with so many one-pot meals, this dish will only improve with time as all the ingredients sit and mingle. Serve this hot off the stove, with some warm crusty bread for dipping. If you plan to save it for later, reserve the fresh greens for stirring in right before serving.

Featured in: A One-Pot Short Rib Stew That’s Brimming With Memories

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

4pounds meaty, bone-in short ribs, cut into single-bone portions
Salt
1tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil
1small fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped (about 2¼ cups), top with fronds separated from bulb and thinly sliced
6shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
6garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
½teaspoon ground turmeric
1(28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
4cups chicken stock
1white sweet potato, such as Japanese sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, or use an orange sweet potato (2 loose cups)
½small butternut squash (about 1 pound 3 ounces), seeds removed, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1(14½-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and grated
4cups torn or cut fresh greens, such as kale, mature spinach, mustard greens or dandelion greens
Warm crusty bread, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Season the short ribs with a sprinkle of salt on all sides. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, brown the tops and sides of short ribs, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate and repeat the browning process with the remaining ribs.
Step 2
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the chopped fennel bulb, (reserve the top and fronds for garnish), shallots and garlic to the pot, season with salt, and toss to coat in the pan drippings. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until softened, 3 minutes. Add the fennel seeds and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and break apart the whole pieces with a wooden spoon or other cooking utensil. Cook until the tomato juices are thickened, about 6 minutes. Return the browned short ribs, bone side up, to the pot along with any drippings from the plate. Pour in the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer. Cover and transfer pot to the oven. Braise until the meat is tender, but not falling off the bone, about 2 to 2½ hours.
Step 3
Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Transfer the cooked short ribs to a plate. Using a colander or sieve set over a bowl, drain out the vegetable solids from the pot and discard, reserving the liquid broth. Skim off and discard as much oil as you can from the surface of the liquid using a spoon or a ladle. (You should have about 3 to 4 cups of broth.) Return the broth to the pot, add the potato and squash, and pour in the coconut milk. Season to taste with salt and the 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the ginger and return the short ribs to the pot, nestling the pieces between the vegetables so that the meat is mostly submerged in the liquid. Return the pot to the oven and braise uncovered until the potato and squash are tender, the meat is falling off the bone, and the liquid is slightly reduced, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 4
On the stovetop but off heat, stir in the greens: The heat from the stew should gently wilt the leaves. Top with the thinly sliced fennel top and fronds. Serve hot in bowls with warm crusty bread for dipping.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,051 user ratings

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Comments

Heather3 years ago

Beef short ribs are super flavorful but fatty, so whenever I cook them I start by spacing them well apart in a shallow pan and baking them at 475 for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally, till they are browned and have rendered some fat. I drain them on paper towels and proceed with the recipe. This gets you to falling-off-the-bone stage a little quicker and reduces fattiness with no loss of flavor.

CL3 years ago

In the accompanying article, the author mentions that she only really uses coconut milk because she avoids dairy. Heavy cream or creme fraiche would work just fine here.

MP3 years ago

Excellent. Added some carrot too. Was skeptical about tossing the fennel/shallot/tomato mush after straining (tasted good and seemed wasteful), but after eating I think best to follow as written. Can be sloppy about peeling shallot/garlic since it all gets strained out. Cut the yam & squash into bite size pcs. Used better-than-bullion for the 4c chicken stock. Highly recommend serving over rice in a bowl, soaks up sauce and very tasty.

kz2 months ago

This is delicious and it was a lot of fun to make. I followed the recipe without deviation. I love Yewande Komolafe’s recipes!

Jodie H3 months ago

Absolutely delicious. Made exactly as written. Added this to my favorites. Next time will try mustard greens instead of kale. Highly, highly recommend this recipe. The flavor is out of this world!

Janet5 months ago

First time I made this I blended the cooking veggies rather than straining them out. This time I followed the recipe, which makes a much thinner gravy. Both are good - but I like my gravy gravy-like. Immersion blender next time. Also, I used a combination of bone-in and boneless short ribs. Bone-in, with more fat gets to falling apart tender while boneless, was tender, but not quite falling apart. They were much leaner.

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