Here's Why You Should Be Eating Savory Cobbler

We’ve partnered with Brooke Bass of Chocolate + Marrow and Washington-based Columbia Winery to celebrate the bounty of the Pacific Northwest through a series of dinner recipes. Each dish features a twist—a progression from a classic or a new approach using time-tested ingredients.

Today: Forget sweet—you should be making savory cobbler. 

It takes a long time—I’m talking years—to build a readership as a food writer. The internet is bursting at the seams with bloggers, somehow proliferating at rapid-fire—it kind of feels like going to law school. The market is saturated. Only a few survive. Why you? 

But every now and then, a bump will come your way when a recipe takes off. And just two weeks and two posts into starting Chocolate + Marrow, my little food blog, I had a stroke of beginner’s luck—a recipe caught fire. 

It was a braised short rib dish that pulled inspiration from bouef bourguignon, made with red wine that’s swirled in with garlic, onions, and thyme. The browned short ribs smacked of umami after a low-and-slow braise in the aromatic wine and broth mixture. They were so tender that they fell off the bone with just a single touch. 

I’ve made the recipe dozens of times, and it remains a favorite among friends and family, as well as in the blogosphere. But with this take, I gave the dish new life—a little top-off, if you will. 

I braised the short ribs in a rich, velvety wine (I went for Columbia Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon) and tossed in freshly-foraged chanterelle mushrooms with the vegetables for extra earthiness and a little Pacific Northwest flair. Then I covered the whole thing with dollops of thyme dumpling dough that end up crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside—buttery scooping vessels that you’ll only want more of. No potatoes, no noodles, and no rice necessary. 

You can easily serve the cobbler with the wine that you cook the short ribs with (after sneaking a glass while cooking). It's a simple, stick-to-your-bones meal that can be adapted with different mushrooms and meats, and will take you through autumn and beyond.

Cabernet-Braised Short Rib and Chanterelle Cobbler

Serves 6 to 8

For the braised short ribs: 

2 pounds thick-cut short rib meat, bones removed
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock, plus more as needed
1 bay leaf
4 fresh thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish

For the thyme biscuit topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons frozen butter
3/4 cup milk, plus more if necessary
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by Brooke Bass

With an elegant balance of fruit-driven flavors and a firm acidity, Columbia Winery makes wines that are well-suited to complement a variety of meals and entertaining occasions.