Ingredients
- 5 1/2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (or 4 pounds boneless short ribs)
- Two 12-ounce bottles of Guinness, plus 1/2 cup for finishing the dish
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon f resh-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, rough-chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks, cut into large chunks (about 1 cup)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks(about 1 cup)
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups cheap red wine (the cheaper the better)
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups beef broth or low-sodium chicken broth
Preparation
Step 1
The day before you want to serve the ribs, put the meat in a baking dish or other large container and soak it with 2 bottles of the Guinness.
Cover the ribs with plastic wrap, and let them marinate in the f ridgetor 12to24 hours, turning them over at the halfway mark to make sure everything gets evenly beered up. (The longer you marinate the meat, the beerier-and better-it will be.)
Take the ribs out of the fridge and let them sit on the countertop for about an hour, until they come up to
room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 4OO degrees F
Pull the ribs out of the beer, pat them dry with a paper towel, and season them generously on all sides with the
salt and pepper.
Heat the corn oil in a very large ovenproof pot or casserole with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat.
When the oilis smoking, put the short ribs in the pot.
Let the meat cook, turning each piece every couple of minutes with a pair of tongs, for about 8 minutes, until the ribs
are chocolate brown and caramelized on all sides, like a good steak (they should smell like a good steak, too).
This is a smoky process, so you might want to open a window or two before you start (and maybe think about
pulling the battery out of that smoke alarm).
Use a pair of tongs to pull the ribs out of the pot and put them on a plate. Then pour the oil out of the pot and use a paper towel to wipe down the insides, so the caramelized stuf f doesn't burn and flavor everything.
Return the pot to the fire on medium heat.
Pour in the olive oil, and then add the onions, celery, and carrots.
Cook the vegetables, stirring regularly to stop them from sticking, for about 4 to 5 minutes, until they're roasted and caramelized; they should be soft, with some brown color.
Add the tomato paste and mix it in well, so the vegetables are coated in the paste.
Let the mixture cook for about 30 seconds, until you can smell the tomato caramelizing.
Add the flour, mix it in, and let it toast for about 3O seconds, being careful not to let it burn on the bottom of the pot.
Add the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the fond (the base of the sauce-the good stuff that's caramelized down there).
Then add the thyrne and bay leaves.
Raise the heat to high and let the sauce cook for about 5 minutes, until it thickens up and the wine has reduced by three quarters.
This is a good time to wipe down the sides of the pot above the cooking mixture with a wet cloth, so that anything that's splashed onto the sides doesn't burn and fall into the sauce, wrecking the f lavor.
When the sauce is a thick chocolate color, pile the ribs back into the pot. Add the beef broth and 2 cups of water, so the short ribs are submerged in the liquid.
Give everything a stir to bring it together, wipe down the sides of the pot again, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cover the pot and put it on the middle oven rack. Cook the ribs for 21/z to 3 hours, turning them every hour.
They're ready when they're fork-tender.