Instructions: Brining is a form of marinating that preserves as well as flavors. Its typically done before smoking meats. At Postino, we brine our short ribs then sear them on the grill. This adds a smoky flavor that is not too strong - good for spring. You dont have to brine to braise. It just adds more flavor and lets you work ahead. The ribs sit for about 72 hours and, once brined, they will keep for a week or more before they need to be cooked.

For 10 pounds of short ribs (I like four-bone short ribs) I use about a gallon of brine. I combine equal amounts of brown sugar and kosher salt - about a cup of each. I sprinkle in a few bay leaves, some juniper berries and whole peppercorns. Then I stir in enough water to make a gallon.

I layer my short ribs two-deep in a plastic container, cover them with the liquid brine, wrap it all tight and forget about them for two or three days.

When I take them out and pat them dry with paper towels, theyre ready to sear.

Most chefs sear their meats in a pan, but I like to grill short ribs for extra flavor. We wont cover grilling in detail until June, when the weather heats up, so dont feel shy about asking an accomplished griller to do this step for you. The short ribs can be grilled a day or two ahead.

Just sprinkle the ribs really lightly with salt and pepper (the brine has done a good job of seasoning already) and grill them on both sides over high heat. If the grill flames up, move the ribs to the side. A little flame is OK, but you dont want them tasting scorched. When they are well marked, take them off the grill and cool them down in the refrigerator. Now youre ready for braising.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.