Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine

Ingredients:

3 Bottles Dry Red Wine, Reduced by Half
8 Whole Beef Short Ribs cut into 3” pieces (I ask my butcher to debone)
1 Cup Flour for Dredging
Salt & Fresh Black Pepper As Needed for Dredging
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
10 Garlic Cloves
8 Shallots, Peeled/Halved
2 Celery Stalks, Cut in 1” Pieces
2 Carrots, Peeled/Cut in 1” Pieces

Sachet: 6 Sprigs Parsley, 2 Thyme Sprigs, 2 Bay Leaves
2 Tablespooks Tomato Paste
2 Quarts Beef Stock
Kosher Salt & Fresh Black Pepper To Taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Dredge heavily seasoned (with salt & pepper) short ribs in flour. Brown in heavy bottomed braising pan, using vegetable oil. When thoroughly brown, transfer to plate, discard ½ oil and cook vegetables until brown, 10-15 minutes. Add tomato paste, cook 5 minutes longer. Add reduced red wine and stock. Bring to a boil and add short ribs, making sure they’re about 3/4 covered with braising liquid. Bake 2 ½ hours or until knife tender. Remove short ribs and strain sauce, pressing on solids to extract. Let sit 15-20 minutes, then degrease using ladle (or stale bread). In small sauce pan, reduce by 1/3 (or until it has a sauce-like consistency, there should be a little less than 4 cups) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain and serve over short ribs and mashed potatoes or polenta. There will be excess sauce.

Note: I braise short ribs, reduce wine and make braising liquid the night before. The next day I skim fat from braising liquid and add liquid to braising pan with short ribs. If you take directly from refrigerator, you will need to increase cooking time. They are done when they are fork tender and falling apart.