# Braised Short Ribs with Charoset Tzimmes and Braised Baby Artichokes > Dark, tender short ribs meet chunky sweet potatoes and carrots sweetened with date-and-walnut charoset. Lemony baby artichokes and a generous handful of parsley keep the plate bright—a spring Seder dinner that reheats beautifully. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/seder-leftovers-plate-braised-short-ribs-with-tzimmes-style-sweet-potatoes-carro - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2025-04-28 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free ![Braised Short Ribs with Charoset Tzimmes and Braised Baby Artichokes](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2Ff6be60ef70b340f0.jpg) ## Red Wine–Braised Short Ribs A hard sear builds the dark exterior, while a gentle braise softens the connective tissue. Reducing the strained braising liquid gives the ribs a glossy coating without flour. ### Ingredients - 4 lb bone-in English-cut beef short ribs - 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper - 2 tbsp ghee - 1 large yellow onion, sliced - 1 medium carrot, chopped - 4 cloves garlic, smashed - 1 tbsp tomato paste - 1½ cups dry red wine - 2 cups gluten-free unsalted beef stock, plus more as needed - 4 sprigs thyme - 1 bay leaf - 1–2 tsp red wine vinegar, to taste - ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Pat the ribs thoroughly dry and season with the salt and pepper. 2. Heat the ghee in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs in batches, about 3–4 minutes on each broad side, without crowding. Transfer to a plate. 3. Lower the heat to medium. Pour off excess fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 7–9 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. 4. Add the wine, scrape the pot clean, and simmer for 5–7 minutes until reduced by roughly half. Add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf. 5. Return the ribs and their juices to the pot. The liquid should reach halfway to two-thirds up the meat; add stock if necessary. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. 6. Braise for 3–3½ hours, checking after 2½ hours. The ribs are ready when a skewer slides into the thickest part with almost no resistance and the meat yields easily but still holds together. 7. Lift out the ribs carefully. Strain the braising liquid, pressing lightly on the vegetables, and skim off the fat. Simmer the liquid uncovered for 10–20 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon. 8. Season the sauce with vinegar and salt as needed. Return the ribs to the sauce and warm gently, spooning the sauce over them. Scatter with parsley just before serving. ### Notes - For the cleanest sauce, braise a day ahead, chill the ribs in their liquid, and lift off the solidified fat before reheating. - If the sauce becomes salty before it thickens, stop reducing; a lightly flowing jus is better than an overly concentrated glaze. ## Date, Raisin, and Walnut Sephardic-Style Charoset Dates and raisins provide concentrated fruit sweetness, while walnuts give the tzimmes small pockets of texture. Orange and cinnamon keep the mixture aromatic rather than simply sugary. ### Ingredients - ⅓ cup chopped pitted dates - 2 tbsp raisins - 3 tbsp walnuts, finely chopped - 3 tbsp fresh orange juice - ½ tsp finely grated orange zest - ¼ tsp ground cinnamon - 1 pinch fine sea salt ### Instructions 1. Combine the dates, raisins, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 3–5 minutes, until the fruit softens; add a splash of water if the pan dries out. 2. Mash coarsely with a fork, leaving recognizable bits of fruit. Stir in the walnuts, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. 3. Set aside for the tzimmes. The mixture should be a moist, chunky paste rather than a smooth purée. ### Notes - Makes approximately ¾ cup. If using existing charoset, use ½–¾ cup and adjust the tzimmes seasoning for its sweetness and spice. ## Sweet Potato and Carrot Tzimmes with Charoset Covered roasting softens the roots without breaking them apart. Folding in charoset near the end lets the fruit and nuts cling to the vegetables without scorching. ### Ingredients - 1½ lb orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks - 1 lb carrots, cut into thick diagonal pieces - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - ¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper - ½ cup water - 1 batch date, raisin, and walnut charoset, approximately ¾ cup - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the sweet potatoes and carrots in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a shallow layer. 2. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the water around the vegetables and cover the dish tightly. 3. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the carrots are nearly tender and a knife enters the sweet potatoes with slight resistance. 4. Loosen the charoset with a spoonful of hot cooking liquid. Fold it gently through the vegetables, preserving the large chunks. 5. Bake uncovered for another 15–20 minutes, until tender and lightly glazed. Add a splash of water if the fruit begins sticking before the roots are done. 6. Fold in the lemon juice and taste for salt. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving so the juices settle around the vegetables. ### Notes - For a single-oven schedule, cook covered at 300°F alongside the ribs for about 65–85 minutes, then add the charoset and finish uncovered at 375°F while the ribs rest. - Avoid vigorous stirring; a little crumbling is welcome, but the dish should retain distinct pieces. ## Lemon-Braised Baby Artichokes Trimming down to the tender leaves makes the baby artichokes almost entirely edible. A shallow olive-oil braise gives them a silky texture, with lemon and parsley balancing the richer parts of the plate. ### Ingredients - 2 lb baby artichokes - 2 lemons, divided - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced - ¾ cup water, plus more as needed - ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper - ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley ### Instructions 1. Fill a bowl with cold water and squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Pull the tough outer leaves from each artichoke until the leaves are pale and tender at the base. Cut off the tough upper third, trim and peel the stem, and halve or quarter lengthwise. Remove any fuzzy choke, then place the trimmed pieces in the lemon water. 2. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. 3. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pan with ¾ cup water, the salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon juice from the remaining lemon. 4. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 20–30 minutes, turning once. Add a little water if the pan approaches dry. A knife should pass easily through the heart and the remaining leaves should be tender. 5. Uncover and simmer for 3–5 minutes to leave just a shallow, glossy pool of liquid. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt as needed. 6. Fold in the parsley off the heat. Serve warm rather than piping hot. ### Notes - Baby artichokes vary in maturity. If the outer leaves remain stringy after braising, trim more aggressively the next time; cooking longer will not reliably soften fibrous leaves. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The ribs set the schedule, while the sides fit comfortably into the last part of the braise. Preparing ahead turns the same meal into a low-effort freezer dinner. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven, season and sear the ribs, build the braising liquid, and get the covered pot into the oven. 2. 0:45 — Make the charoset. Prepare the sweet potatoes and carrots, then hold them refrigerated until needed. 3. About 1½ hours before the ribs are expected to finish — Put the covered tzimmes into the 300°F oven alongside them. 4. About 45 minutes before serving — Trim and braise the artichokes. Check the ribs for tenderness rather than relying solely on the clock. 5. When the ribs are tender — Remove their pot and raise the oven to 375°F. Fold the charoset into the tzimmes and finish it uncovered while straining, defatting, and reducing the rib juices. 6. For the freezer-dinner route — Thaw all three cooked dishes overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the ribs covered with their sauce at 325°F for roughly 30–45 minutes; warm the tzimmes alongside them with a splash of water. Reheat the artichokes gently in a covered saucepan with a spoonful of water. Bring reheated leftovers to 165°F throughout and add fresh parsley and lemon at the end. ### Notes - The ribs and tzimmes are especially well suited to cooking a day ahead. Keep the artichoke braising liquid for reheating. ## Plating Keeping the three components distinct preserves the contrast between dark beef, sweet roots, and pale, lemony artichokes. ### Instructions 1. Use warm wide plates. Place a portion of short ribs toward the bottom of each plate and spoon a little reduced braising liquid over and around the meat. 2. Mound the tzimmes to one side without mashing it. Arrange the artichokes on the other side, allowing a little of their lemony cooking liquid onto the plate. 3. Distribute the reserved parsley from the components generously over the ribs and artichokes. Serve the remaining rib sauce separately. ## Leftover Path Storing each component with its own cooking liquid protects its texture and makes it easy to reheat only what is needed. ### Instructions 1. For freshly cooked food, divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store the ribs with sauce, the tzimmes separately, and the artichokes with their braising liquid. 2. Refrigerate for up to 3–4 days or freeze promptly in meal-sized portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Artichokes will be softer after freezing. 3. If these dishes have already been frozen and reheated, refrigerate any remaining portions promptly and use within 1–2 days for best quality; avoid repeated warming of the full batch. 4. Reheat only the portions needed, covered and with a splash of water or stock as appropriate, until they reach 165°F throughout. Finish with fresh lemon and parsley. 5. For a different second meal, shred the rib meat into its sauce, roughly mash the tzimmes, and serve the chopped artichokes alongside. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.