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Thyme-Rubbed Bison Short Ribs Recipe

Thyme-Rubbed Bison Short Ribs
Difficulty: Medium | Total Time: 4 hrs 40 mins | Active Time: | Makes: 6 servings

With its low fat content, bison can easily turn out dry and tough. Braising takes a while, but you’re rewarded with moist and meltingly tender meat. Serve these garlic- and thyme-rubbed short ribs with something that can soak up all the extra braising liquid, such as our Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes or Pancetta and Hominy Polenta.

INGREDIENTS

For the rub:

  • 6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (from about 1 1/2 bunches)
  • 1/4 cup minced garlic (from about 1 small head)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

For the braise:

  • 4 pounds bison short ribs
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, large dice
  • 1 medium fennel head, large dice
  • 1 medium celery stalk, large dice
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 medium bay leaf
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

For the rub:

  1. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until thoroughly combined; set aside.

For the braise:

  1. Pat ribs dry with a paper towel and cover on both sides with thyme rub. Let meat come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
  2. Once meat is ready, place a large, shallow pot with a tightfitting lid over medium heat and add oil. When it starts to shimmer, add ribs and sear until well browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side (you may have to do this in batches).
  3. Remove ribs to a baking sheet and set aside. Add onion, fennel, and celery to the pot and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until vegetables are tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, bay leaf, and broth, then place ribs bone side up in the pot and bring mixture to a boil.
  4. Once boiling, cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook ribs until meat falls apart when pierced with a fork, about 4 hours.

Beverage pairing: Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Mourre des Perdrix, France. Thyme grows between the rocks in the southern Rhône, as do hosts of other wild herbs, which makes the wine made from the grapes that grow among those same rocks a perfect fit for this dish.

    Write a review | 6 Reviews

  • My friend and chef Peter created an excellent pate using bison liver. You can find it posted here:
    http://www.bisonbasics.com/recipes/appetizers/bison_cognac_pate.html

    He also has a more traditional grilled liver recipe made from elk which could easily be changed to use bison liver, though I'd want it from a young animal. Here's that link:
    http://www.eatingelk.com/elkliver.html

    Nothing using kidneys though.

  • Thanks so much. I understand about the meat and bones, I was just confused by the wording.

    And, an extra ten points for anyone that has a killer Bison Liver recipe. Or Bison Kidney...either will do.

  • DougRisk,
    On short ribs there is a side that is mostly bone and a side that is mostly meat. As long as that meat-side is facing downward in the pan and is covered by liquid (even if all the bones are not) you should be fine. When in doubt, go ahead and add another cup or so of broth, it will still turn out fine, but the braising liquid won't be as viscous. Let us know how it turns out.

  • "If your ribs are meaty-side down..."

    I am not sure what that means. If they are meaty-side down, or if they are meaty, then put them meat side down?

    The pot was the absolute perfect size. The ribs just fit in and the top just came to cover.

    You are right about the rub, I definitely missed that. Well, either way, that is what I did.

    So, for the Stock, it should cover the meat? Or, at least come close? Or should it come up about half-way?

    Thanks.

  • Hey DougRisk,

    Thanks for trying the recipe, sorry if it was a bit confusing. Hopefully we can clear up some of your questions.
    1. If your ribs are meaty-side down, then the broth doesn't need to cover them completely. But maybe next time try braising them in a smaller pot.
    2. You followed the instructions correctly, in step 1 it says to cover the ribs on all sides with the rub. Some of the garlic will burn a bit, but it all ends up in the braise and the little bit of bitterness that comes off the garlic adds some balance to the dish in the end, so don't worry about that.
    3. If you have half the amount of ribs, they more than likely will take less time to cook, checking every so often after they've cooked about an hour and a half is always a good idea.
    Hope this helps and you'll give the recipe another try.

  • I was really excited to see this recipe since I had some Bison Short Ribs sittin' in the freezer.

    I made it last night and the flavors were right on.

    However, a few questions:
    1. Should you use enough Broth/Stock to cover or nearly cover the Short Ribs? I only had 1 "set" of Short Ribs that equaled about 2 pounds, and used a pot that fit perfectly, but still only had enough stock to go about halfway up the Short Ribs.
    2. You never actually say when to apply the Rub. I am still learning to cook so this may be elementary to others, but...I applied the rub before I browned the meat. But, at 4 minutes per side (which was perfet for browning the meat) the garlic became quite burnt. And, when turning the ribs over, almost all of it stuck to the pan. I thought that I had plenty of fat in the pan, but, I dunno, maybe not.

    So, I burnt the garlic, lost the rub and had the top part dry out somewhat...but, it was still very good.

    Oh, yeah, I only went about 3 hours at 300 degrees. With only 2 pounds, I prob. could have gone shorter.

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