Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

By HeatherS

Ingredients

• A few splashes of any vegetable oil
• 16 or so beef short ribs, each about
• 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) long
• 4 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• a full bottle of big, beefy red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel)
• a bunch of fresh rosemary
• a few bay leaves
• a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 135mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and splash in enough oil to cover the bottom with a light film. Add the ribs in a single layer and brown, caramelizing them well on all sides. Place the browned ribs on a platter, drain most of the fat from the pan and place it back over the heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot and garlic to the hot pan and sauté for a
few minutes until they heat through and smell great. Return the ribs to pan and cover with wine. Add the rosemary and bay leaves and season well with salt and pepper.

Cover with a tight-fitting lid or with tightly sealed foil, and place in the oven to braise for about 2 hours. The ribs are done when they're fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone.

Serve with your favourite mashed potatoes and the braising liquid.

VARIATION:
For an extra-special presentation, you can ask your butcher to leave the ribs whole. They're trickier to brown, but the results are worth it. You can skip the red wine and use beef broth instead. If you like, you can easily thicken the braising liquid into a sauce with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) or so of cornstarch. Try stirring some grainy mustard or horseradish into the braising liquid just before serving the ribs.