• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Therapist Cooks
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Fourth of July
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Fourth of July
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Appetizers

French Onion Shortrib Pull-Apart Bread

Published: Sep 21, 2016 Last Updated: Sep 2023 by Lindsay This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and enjoy. 3 Comments

Jump to Recipe
No ratings yet

....in which we break the internet.  img_0359

Want to Read Later?

You can email this post to yourself (or anyone else!), so you can come back to it later!

Or maybe the world really has gone to hell in a handbasket and you people have no soul, I don't know which it is some days.  

But if anything was going to save the world, it would be this little number.  It's our first new football recipe for 2016, but it would also be a PERFECT showstopping appetizer for a holiday party (omg how are we talking about the holidays seriously can't deal) or even, say, a mother effing Wednesday night.  It's bread and meat and cheese, which are basically ¾ major food groups, the 4th being wine.  

The short ribs are indulgent here and, honestly, you could use any beef you like (shoulder, chuck roast) that will relax and shred nicely in a stewy situation after a few hours.  The flavors end up like the richest French onion soup you've ever dreamed of, and there are whole garlic cloves simmered in the sauce to boot.  Then we shred the beef, stuff it into bread with GRUYERE, for sobbing out loud, and dip it in the beef/onion juice to solidify the best time you've ever had watching football no matter what your feelings on the actual game are.  Guaranteed.  

The beef can be made a day or two in advance, and that's actually preferable because if you chill the drippings overnight it's much easier to remove the fat the next morning.  For the beef mixture you need short ribs, beef stock, 2 onions, a whole head of garlic, and thyme.  Maybe some salt if your beef stock isn't super salty.  Olive oil for browning the ribs.  img_0229

First, peel the garlic cloves (they stay whole) and thinly slice both onions.  img_0238

Then, brown the beef.  Use a dutch oven or something that can go in the oven with a lid.  img_0233

Medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on all sides, sprinkle with salt.  If you find that the ribs stick to the pot when you try to flip them give them a few more minutes - they should release from the pan naturally without tearing the meat.  img_0234

When the beef has browned on all sides, remove it from the pot.  img_0239

Reduce the heat on the dutch oven to medium and add the onions, garlic, and thyme.  Stir the veggies for a few minutes (3, tops) to release some of the bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the beef broth.  img_0242

Stick the ribs back in the onion soup mixture, and we're ready to roast!  Cover the pot and stick it in the oven at 350F for 2 hours.  After 2 hours, check the ribs for doneness.  If they fall apart easily with a fork, they're done!  If not, give them 30 more minutes (or longer if you need to).  When the ribs are very tender, remove the pot from the oven.  PS in this time you might need to add some water to the pot if the stock has evaporated; be your own boss there.  You want at least ½ inch of liquid in the pot or more at all times.  img_0348

At this point, you'll want to remove the beef from the ribs and shred it, then store it until you're ready to make the pull-apart bread.  The drippings should go in the fridge, in the pot or another container, until the fat rises to the top and you can scrape it off.  This will leave you with super thick oniony, beefy, salty broth that we'll use in the bread too.  I did all of this the day before so that when I was ready to make the actual dish I just cut the bread, stuffed it, and warmed everything up.  You could also do this in the morning for a late-afternoon eating time.  img_0349

When the beef is ready to go, it's time to make the pull-apart bread.  For that you'll need a big loaf of crusty bread, the shredded beef, the onion drippings (with as much fat as you can removed), and a mountain of gruyere cheese.  6 ounces grated, really go for it.  img_0351

Then, we just prep the bread, stuff it, bake it, and EAT it.  I like to cut the bread lengthwise first in big strips, all the way down the bread, about 1 inch apart.  img_0353

Then, turn the bread and repeat, cutting almost all the way through the bread until you have a nice grid but the bottom crust of the bread is still intact.  img_0354

Then, stuff!  A layer of cheese, just jam it in every nook and cranny you can.  img_0355

Then beef.  img_0356

Then more cheese!  Use it all, don't be bashful, and when you think the bread is "full" add a little bit more, seriously.  PS of this beef (4 ribs), I used about ⅔ of the final shredded amount and used the leftovers for quesadillas and baby munchies.  You might need all of the beef or not, depending on the size of your bread. 

img_0358

Then we bake.  400F for 15-20 minutes until the bread is crusty and the cheese is melty.  img_0363

And if that weren't enough, we then drizzle over the super reduced beefy brothy onions over the whole thing.  img_0366

And, any extra onions/garlic/drippings?  Side dish.  Which basically makes this a French onion FRENCH DIP.  img_0369

You know you want it.  img_0371

This will make you enjoy sports, or anything you are doing at the time you consume this, I absolutely promise.  Enjoy!  img_0374

Recipe

French Onion Shortrib Pull-Apart Bread

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 hours hrs
Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients
  

  • BEEF
  • olive oil and salt
  • 2 onions thinly sliced
  • 1 whole head garlic cloves peeled and intact
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 4 beef shortribs
  • BREAD
  • 1 loaf crusty french bread
  • 6 ounces freshly shredded gruyere cheese
  • shortribs from above shredded
  • drippings from above reserved

Instructions
 

  • Note: I like to make the ribs + jus the day in advance, then assemble and bake the bread right before serving.
  • For the beef, heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat with some olive oil and preheat the oven to 350F. Sprinkle the shortribs with salt and brown them in the olive oil on all sides until dark brown, then remove from the pot. Add the onions, garlic, and thyme to the pot and stir for 3 minutes to remove any bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Return the shortribs to the onion mixture and add the broth. Cover the pot and bake for 2-3 hours until the shortribs are very tender. After 2 hours, check the pot and add more water if the ribs need to look longer; there should be ½ inch or more of liquid in the pot at all times.
  • When the ribs are very tender and cooked through, remove them from the pot to cool, then shred the meat and reserve for the bread. Refrigerate the cooking juices and onions until cool, scrape off the top layer of fat when the juices are chilled.
  • For the pull-apart bread, preheat the oven to 400F. Using a sharp bread knife, cut the bread in a criss-cross pattern to make cubes of bread, but do not cut all the way through the bread. The loaf should still be intact. Using your fingers, alternate layers of cheese and beef until the bread is completely full. Place the bread with cheese and beef on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and crusty.
  • Meanwhile, reheat the onion/garlic/beef drippings in the microwave or a small pot. When the bread is cooked drizzle with some of the onion mixture, and serve the rest on the side for dipping.
  • Dive in, you'll need napkins. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 6g
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

 

 

More Killer Appetizer Recipes

  • A hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and pimento cheese on parchment paper.
    15 Easy Memorial Day Recipes
  • Smoked salmon charcuterie board with scallion cream cheese and pickled red onions.
    Smoked Salmon Charcuterie Board
  • Small white bowl of cream cheese and scallions.
    Scallion Cream Cheese
  • hand scooping cheesy corn dip in air on white background.
    25 Super Bowl Snack Ideas for 2025

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Giddy

    March 27, 2017 at 9:45 am

    Made it and it was out of this world. SO GOOD!

    Reply
    • funnyloveblog

      March 27, 2017 at 9:54 am

      I'm so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Ally A.

    September 21, 2016 at 12:00 pm

    Omggggg this sounds incredible! I want to shove it in my face!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Image of Lindsay Howerton-Hastings smiling sitting on dark gray couch wearing chambray blue shirt.

Hi! I'm Lindsay. I'm a maternal mental health therapist, a recipe developer, food writer, and taker of all kinds of pictures. Thank you so much for being here! This blog is about how to take care of yourself and your people without taking anything too seriously.

More about me →

Yummy 4th of July Recipes

  • Vegan Tabouli Salad
  • grilled chicken cobb salad
    Summery Kale Cobb Salad with Pesto Salad Dressing
  • Black Bean Salsa with Avocado
  • Watermelon Juice with Lime and Mint
  • bowl of vegan potato salad
    Vegan Potato Salad
  • Gray plate with burrata, pesto, and roasted tomatoes surrounded by grilled bread.
    Burrata Pesto Dip with Yogurt + Roasted Tomatoes

Most Popular Recipes

  • Black skillet with sliced steak and shallot sauce.
    Cast Iron New York Strip
  • indian butter chicken served with rice in a white bowl.
    Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
  • homemade hibachi shrimp bowl in white serving bowl with asparagus and white rice.
    3-ingredient Hibachi Shrimp
  • white plate of asparagus casserole with a silver fork.
    BEST Easy Asparagus Casserole
  • Braised Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Lemon
    One-Skillet Chicken and Leeks
  • Brown Butter Blondies

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Emails

  • Sign Up! to get new recipes in your inbox

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Loading Comments...
 

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required