Name: Hearty Onion Soup
Ingredients: 2 beef short ribs (Bone-in. Other beef bones with meat, such as plate ribs, work well, too); 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil); 2 quarts beef stock (8 cups. Divided); 4 large onions (Red or white, approximately 3 pounds. Peeled and thinly sliced); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 cup white wine; 1 tablespoon sherry; 1 tablespoon flour; 1 ½ cups Gruyere cheese (Grated and divided); salt; pepper

Heat a heavy saucepan over a medium-high heat. Make sure the pan can hold the beef ribs lying flat. When it’s hot, add the neutral oil, and then the beef bones. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown the bones on all sides, approximately 7-10 minutes. When they’re browned, add one quart of the stock, and bring to a light boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer until the meat is cooked through, approximately 60-90 minutes
When the meat is cooked through, remove the bones. Reserve the meat for other purposes, such as adding to a soup. If you are doing this at least two hours before you make this soup, you can quickly chill the stock to skim any fat off the top
While the meat is simmering, heat a heavy Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the olive oil, then the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir the onions occasionally, and let them cook until they softened and brown, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. If the onions start to stick to the pan, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of water, with a wooden spoon, while scraping the dark bits stuck to the pan. Repeat this as needed until the onions are cooked through. If the onions seem to be getting too browned too quickly, reduce the heat
When the onions are almost done, bring the prepared stock, plus the remaining quart of stock, to a simmer. Set this aside
Once onions are cooked, increase the heat to medium high, and add the wine and sherry. Allow the mixture to come to boil. As the liquid begins to reduce in volume, stir in the flour, and let it thicken, for a minute or two
Slowly add the warm broth, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, as needed, with salt and pepper
Melting the cheese
Option 1: Heat the broiler, and arrange individual ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into the bowls, and cover the top with Gruyère. Broil for a minute or two, watching carefully, until the cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately
Option 2: If you don’t have ovenproof bowls, heat the broiler. And cover a sheet pan with parchment paper. Generously spread the cheese in even arrangements on the parchment, in the approximate shape of the top of your soup bowls. Broil for a minute or two, watching carefully, until cheese melts and browns. With a wide metal spatula, carefully remove the very hot, melted cheese from the parchment, and place it over the soup in the bowl
Option 3: No Broiler? Put the bowl in the microwave, with the cheese on top. It’ll melt, but it won’t browned
Serve with crusty bread and a salad

Hearty Onion Soup

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