Beef Short Ribs over Gorgonzola Polenta

By cheeserohan

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs
• 2 large onions, cut into thin wedges
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into thin wedges
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• gorgonzola polenta

Preparation

Step 1

1. Trim fat from meat. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine onions, carrots and fennel. Top with meat.

2. In a medium bowl, combine undrained tomatoes, wine, tapioca, tomato paste, garlic, salt, rosemary and pepper. Pour over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

4. Meanwhile, prepare gorgonzola polenta. To serve, spoon polenta into shallow bowls. Top with meat and vegetable mixture.

Gorgonzola Polenta: In a large saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water to boiling. Meanwhile, in a bow, stir together 1 cup coarse-ground yellow cornmeal, 1 cup cold water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly add cornmeal mixture to boiling water, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until very thick, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a very slow boil. Stir in 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese or shredded Parmesan cheese.